Titans East Origins
by opusj
Summary: AU An original take on the Titans East, from their first meetings, through their many adventures...
1. Many Meetings

Authors Note: I don't own the Titans, Or the Titans East, or anything else related. If I did, Beast Boy would be dating Raven… and Terra would be in a love triangle with Speedy and Aqualad. Hee hee hee…

_Newscaster: Welcome to the morning report, here on 97.5, the rush. Today, we'll be talking to a pair of people who are certifiable. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we'll spend the whole show talking between ourselves… As well as discussing current events. On topic today is the current reign of terror who is causing so much panic throughout the city…_

**MANY MEETINGS**

The streets of Steel City were not a forgiving place. Few, if any, ever managed to survive its brutal handling unharmed. It was a place of corruption and decay that sat throughout, lingering like the stench of dead meat. The slums were a place of decadence, filled with the worst sort of people who killed without cause, stole without reason, and sold themselves to the lowest bidder. No sin was unknown to its dark streets, and no deed would be revealed to the light of day if enough was paid to the right people. It was a city on the edge of madness, sickened from within until the very core had become a cesspool of filth. Cops were bought and paid for on a regular basis, and ever the courts could be made to dance to the tune of a puppeteer. The streets of the slums were filled with the hopeless, the weak, the despised, and the hated. Dead bodies, too, could be found if one searched hard enough. Gang wars were constant, and the people killed, injured, or maimed in them could be heard about over the news. Liquor, Drugs, and all other forms of entertainment thrived within the city. And now two teenage superheroes were searching it from top to bottom to try and find some trace of a madman who had nearly destroyed a city in the name of revenge. It was tough for the two to look at the city with any form of feeling other that a sense of depression. The city seemed beyond saving, no matter what way anybody looked at it. It was their duty to do what they could however, though doing even that seemed beyond the means at their disposal.

"Seems a little odd to name a city 'Steel City', doesn't it?" Karen Beacher's voice said out loud, not bothering to tone it down as they watched the city slowly turn in on itself as night fell. Karen turned to look at he companion, smiling. Few men would ever be caught dead wearing a leotard at any time, but she knew that no one would ever make a comment about it to Garth. He was six foot two inches, toned and muscular without looking like a weight lifter. Which was funny, considering he could bench press a car – with the people still in it. His blue shirt was much too tight for her tastes, though she couldn't help but admit that it did show off his body quite well, and it didn't clash with his nearly black hair, or the black leotards that covered the bottom half of his body. The one thing that did make her a little uncomfortable was his eyes – they were almost black, and seemed to absorb light. He had explained that it come from living in Atlantis, where the water was darker than even the darkest nights that they had been through. That truthfully hadn't been that many, considering that they had traveled together all of the way from Jump City, on the other coast of the USA. She had seen him in action a few times on the trip, and vice-versa, but it still seemed odd to her to call him Aqualad even in public. They were friends now, and calling a friend by a nickname was something she had always been trained not to do. It ran contrary to her nature to be rude. Again, this could be considered funny if you knew where she was coming from.

She was Bumblebee, a super powered teen, capable of shrinking her size, firing off electrical beams, flying, and with an enormous strength that rivaled most of the super villains she had ever fought. She was black, and proud of her five feet ten inches that she held on her thin frame. There were only a few that she had fought, but they had been a constant practice that had honed her reflexes to a sharp edge. She had been, for a time, a spy in an organization called the HIVE, a destructive school for gifted young villains, led by a dangerous psychotic madman named brother blood. He had been the driving force behind the school, though he wasn't the only one, and his first and second defeats had damaged both his reputation, and the image of the school. If they could just find the man, then this hunt would be over. That thought led her back to one she had been dwelling on for the past week – what would she do when this was over? She had no home to return to, and the Teen Titans didn't really need any extra help. Even if she did find Cyborg to be a hottie. _Down girl! _She thought to herself. Once again, she forced that thought into the back of her mind to be examined at a later date, when she wasn't hunting a dangerous super villain.

"It is a little gratuitous." Aqualad replied, a face that sat somewhere between a smile and a grimace grunted out, not knowing what to think about the City. Atlantis was the only undersea city, and Aqualad had been raised in a loving, sterile environment. It had made his adjustment to the real world a little more abrupt than most, and his understanding of both people, and why they committed their crimes, seemed to confuse him more often than not. He was innocent – a trait that Bumblebee admired and loved in him. He was a friend, and those were truly few and far between in this world, she had discovered. "Though the fact that it is their main industry does make it a little less so." He continued on for a moment, looking through the cloudy sky towards the red colored sunset, staring out towards the ocean longingly. He missed it almost as much as Bumblebee missed flying, which she did as often as time allowed. To fly was her greatest exhilaration. Now, however, night was beginning to descend, and it was time to get to work. Finding Brother Blood, Mad genius extraordinaire, was proving to be more difficult then either of them had ever imagined. _It shouldn't be so easy to simply disappear, even in a city this big! _She thought to herself, grumbling.

"Ready to go?" She asked, letting a little challenge slip into her voice, knowing that it was expected. She lived for a good challenge once and a while, and though today she felt less than ready to go for number one once more, she would never let a friend down. Besides, he enjoyed it too. No day was complete unless she had won at least a single competition with somebody. She was far too high strung not to feel that way.

"Sure. I'll bet that we've got a long night ahead of us, though." Aqualad said with slight smile, starring back out over the City. With a sigh, he stepped out off of the ledge, moving through the air with the same liquid grace that had made Bumblebee jealous as she had watched him fight. He landed, having dropped two stories without a hitch, and began to walk into the city at a fairly rapid pace, not running, but not waiting around. Bumblebee shook her head in amazement once more before she took off herself, pushing off of the rooftop out into the air, buzzing out into the sky with the grace of a dragonfly. While some people may have noticed her, no one made enough comment to be noticed by her. She remained aloof from the chaos of the streets below her. Flying above, she provided aerial coverage to Aqualad, and was able to watch the city for problems. It was a system they had worked out a while ago, and it worked like a charm. There were few things that would make them stop, anyways. They weren't here on a vacation, or to stop a regular thief if it meant going out of their way. If the trouble was more than the local cops could handle, however, they would get involved. Simple motivation for justice made them do at least that, and sometimes she wondered if they were putting too much on the shoulders of local authorities.

Without paying attention she had drifted off course slightly. She corrected herself with a sharp jerk in the right direction. She looked down at Aqualad, scolding herself mentally while she spotted him, reminding herself to keep her mind on the job. Now was not the time to daydream. Turning on her headset, she spoke to him again. "Where do you think we should look tonight? The docks? Personally, I think we should head over to the slums. We could shake up a few drug dealers." She said with a little bit of an edge, having a distaste for any form of drugs.

Below her, Aqualad rolled his eyes, not bothering to look up at the source of the comment as he had done so many times in the past. His ear had a small clip that was his head set, one much like the one most kids used while talking these days. He spoke, knowing that she would hear him loud and clear. "While I do what? Watch in envy? Try to talk to some fish in a pet store? No thanks. I think I'll stick with the docks for our intended target tonight. Besides, I'm sure you could find a drug dealer there if you look hard enough." He sounded a little smug, since the pair had agreed to switch out who chose where to look. It was his turn tonight, and he wasn't about to let her trick him into going through a group of run down old buildings. He had plans of his own – and besides, it had been weeks since he had been able to swim in any body of water. That always made him cranky, even if he wouldn't tell her about it. It was none of her business.

Above, she stuck her tongue out briefly, risking a bug in the mouth to silently veto the choice. The docks would be her last choice to search, as she hated large bodies of water. It was his choice however, and she would agree to it. "Okay, okay, keep your pants on, fish boy." She heard his sputtering over the intercom and couldn't suppress a smile. She loved to needle him about little things like that, and his reactions were always so fun to watch. "But it's not like I'm going out of my way to make druggies into informants. They're just the easiest to scare into spilling there guts." She started to notice a defensive tone of voice creeping into her words.

"Yeah. Rriiiiiiggghhhttt. And I can fly." The sarcasm in his voice was evident, and Bumblebee found herself running over the number of dealers who she had used in the last few towns. There weren't that many, were there? "Besides you haven't exactly left them in top condition when you're through with them most of the time anyways. Your normal session leaves most of them with at least one black eye. Not as if I don't agree with you some of the time, I do think that you get a little carried away." He looked up slightly as he finished the remark, and for a moment Bumblebee was tempted to nail him with a loogie.

"A little carried away? They can walk away, can't they? At least they can still eat or drink or…" She wandered off, realizing that he had her on this point. She had resolved not to put any crook into a medical center without having due cause any more, but she had come awfully close of late, not thinking of druggies as human. She hated to admit even a small point like that, but she wouldn't lie and say she had done the right thing by injuring that last dealer. She sighed, and then spoke again. "Okay, I admit, I've been a little tense and moody lately. I apologize if I've made you angry or pissed you off. Do you accept my apology?" She said with a little bit of remorse in her voice. She often was insensitive about things with her friend, and she wasn't completely sure when she offended him, or how for that matter.

"Yes, Bumblebee. Just try to play nice with them from now on. I don't want to go to jail for a lost temper." He said easily, his baritone voice sounding clear over the line. He smiled, knowing he had won a point, and let it lie their. He wasn't the type to beat something into the ground. As someone bumped into his shoulder, his attention to the crowd, many of which had began to reverse direction. His eyes narrowed as he began to hear screaming and his next statement cut off whatever she had planned on saying. "Bumblebee, I think something's going on ahead. Can you see the problem?"

"Just a second." She said with narrowed eyes, unable to see what the problem was. "I'll go check it out." She flew ahead, searching over a group of buildings, flying over the top of a bank. Her breath was caught in her throat as she saw a giant robot that had half of it sticking out where the arches should have been. The question of what had happened to the arches was answered a moment later as she was spotted and the robot threw one of the pillars at her. Instinct took over at that point, and she began to move out of the way of the flying debris. She found out that the robot wasn't stupid a moment later as it fired a beam weapon through the flying rock, sending hunks of it everywhere – including into her head. She heard Aqualad cry out, but the headset was damaged in the attack, and whatever he said was cut off in the ensuing damage. Her instincts kept her both aloft, and moving, avoiding the numerous shots fired at her person as she moved in closer, eyes now focused on her target. Using her training she had received in the HIVE academy, she waited until she was at peak distance to strike – about ten feet, where avoiding the attack would be impossible even for another superhero. As soon as she was in range she pulled out her 'stingers', a pair of bladed weapons capable of generating nearly ten thousand kilowatts of electricity without being previously charged. They were deadly weapons in the hands of an untrained person. In her hands, they were instruments of destruction. With pinpoint accuracy, she shot at one of the eyes, trying to disable the robot quickly. Its arms came up, blocking the attack after a moment, shielding it from the brunt of the damage, though it did stutter for a moment. Using its shielding technique to her advantage, she dropped onto its arms, using her super strength to pin them down, and then released an attack at point blank range. It began to tear through the protective covering with a remorseless vengeance, but the machine was not out yet, as it struck out with another pair of arms, smashing into her stomach and sending her flying back into a nearby car. The robot then stepped out into the street, revealing the full bulk of the monstrosity.

It was an eight armed ball, each arm strong enough to tear hunks of concrete from the ground and hurl the chunks people, as it showed her as it threw more rubble at her. As she flipped up, throwing herself over the flying debris, she noted that the main body was neither too big nor too small, measured out almost perfectly. The eight arms gave it an appearance much like an octopus, so she nicknamed the things 'Octo-bots' in her own head, letting her mind search through for other weaknesses the things might have shown. None came to mind as she felt the rock fly underneath her. She landed on her feet, looking at the robot, watching Aqualad, now around the corner coming in to land a serious blow. Only the fact that a second robot burst out in front of him, sweeping him aside with one of it's arms, saved the first robot from a crack in it's seemingly impervious armor. "Aqualad!" She cried out, worried that he might have been injured as his body was roughly thrown aside. Her distraction cost her as the first robot threw another hunk of material, this time scoring a hit and sending her into a nearby wall with a grunt. _Okay, now I'm ticked. _She thought to herself, throwing the rubble aside in time to watch both Aqualad rise, shaking his head a little, and to see another robot pop out of the other side of the building, bringing the total to three.

"Something wrong, Speedy? Too many friends to play with?" A grin rested upon the visage of an older man, striding out confidently into the street, coming to rest in front of the first robot. For a moment the look of smug superiority was obvious – at least until he looked at Bumblebee. Then his smile faded into a shocked look, amazed almost. "You're not Speedy." He said, sounding disappointed.

"I hadn't noticed." Bumblebee said, sarcasm dripping from her voice as she continued to scan the three robots for some other sign of weakness. Nothing came to mind, and she found herself looking back at the man. While not the oldest person she had met by far, the white in his hair had extended out almost to the tips of his hair, and there were deep wrinkles on his face. He was not so much flabby as he was lacking muscle, and he looked more at home with a computer than a costume – a fact made glaringly obvious by both the pale whiteness of skin and the badly made costume that was far to tight to ever be acceptable in any social circle. The bulge was far too obvious to miss, and it didn't help his case in the beauty department, where he appeared to be struggling. There was nothing threatening about this guy other than the robots he appeared to be commanding. "Run out of money for your Yu-Gi-Oh Cards?

His eyes narrowed at the hurtful words, angry that this lesser woman would dare to insult him. "You speak to the great Mechanic, woman. Show some respect!" He yelled the last, making a gesture – and immediately, one of the robots charged. She pulled her stingers up to make an attack, but both she and the robot were distracted by a twanging noise and a cry of complaint as the so-called Mechanic found himself caught within a metallic net. Her eyes shot over to the old man, then back to where the shot had come from, only to see an odd sight. Standing on top of a discarded piece of rubble, he was about five foot seven, slender build, wearing a red and yellow suit with a crosshair for a sigil over his right breast, and a mask covering a piece of his fair white face. Strawberry blond hair was cropped close to his scalp, though enough of it hung over to let him spike it. His eyes were brown, focused, and on his target, and a grin was on his face, much like a child who had caught his parents bringing him a wanted present.

"And here I thought you never thought about me." He said confidently, his eyes taking in the scene in a second, dancing with a suppressed humor.

Speedy took in the scene with some humor. The Mechanic had been attacking the city for almost a full month now and he had been unsuccessful in even slowing him down most of the time. He had stopped one of his machines about a week ago, but he had admitted to himself that it had been mainly luck that had done it. He hadn't managed to catch him since, despite the two other robberies in the area, and he had thought that he wouldn't be able to get here in time. Now, however, after seeing the two other people dressed in costumes who he assumed were heroes (He hadn't seen the other teenager in action yet, so he reserved judgment until he had seen her in action.) whose presence could work to his advantage in the fight, he felt far more confidant. The girl looked at him questioningly, but he had no chance to respond as the Mechanic called out to his machines. "Get me out of here! Now!" His voice seemed strained, almost as if he was afraid. Speedy ran over towards the robots, pulling an arrow out of his quiver and firing at one of the robot's eyes. He saw it deflected, but all of the robots found their movements hindered as attacks came from all sides. The young lady shot electrical blasts from some sort of weapons in her fists, and Aqualad threw a couple of hunks of rocks at the other robot, throwing them like most people threw a paper, hurling them with tremendous force.

He continued to fire and move, running towards the young lady in the black and yellow striped shirt and black pants, which went quite well with her frame and skin color. "Can you fly?" He yelled out over the numerous attacks, noticing that her other friend was also moving in closer. While a part of him realized the wisdom in this move, he also knew it was placing them closer together, making them a bigger target. While a part of him wanted to tell the other boy to move away, he was loathe to be so rude and unmannered.

"Yeah, I can. What do you have in mind?" She responded, glancing at him for a quick moment before looking back at the robots once more. She seemed focused, and Speedy found himself grinning. If her battle training was any indication, than not only had he found other superheroes, he had found intelligent ones, ones who might be able to stand up for themselves in a fight if necessary. Since becoming the protector in this town, he had found himself overwhelmed by the duties. If they wanted to stay, he would be more than willing to help them in whatever means necessary.

He shot another arrow at the robots as he spoke, letting his attacks mask any attempt the robots made to monitor his words. "Can you get him down to the dock? These things are weak against water. It fries their systems." He said in a normal voice, trying to keep the robots or the Mechanic from finding out what he said. She gave her companion a dry look, one that matched his own, and for a moment Speedy felt confused. Why were they staring at each other? A flash of humor sparked in both pair of eyes for a moment, then she looked back at him, and another pair of eyes were right behind those.

"Can you give me some cover?" She said in a challenging tone, sounding much like she didn't think he could. He found his eyebrows rising in amusement, and he grinned despite himself.

"Just give the word, my lady." He let the sarcasm enter his voice, and, one dry look later, she shot off like a bullet from a gun, moving between the arms of the robots, heading straight for her target. Speedy let loose a barrage of arrows, shooting off nine in the space of three seconds, and her companion threw a large piece of blacktop at the other robot, forcing them to defend themselves rather than try and block the speeding female. A moment later she came shooting out of the back, climbing skyward effortlessly, moving off towards the docks while skimming over the rooftops, the Mechanic in a bag beneath her screaming. His robots, commanded to protect him first and foremost, did the only thing their programming allowed – they took off after him, leaving the two young men behind, racing after her almost as fast as she was flying, running at a speed that seemed more organic than not. Without missing a beat, the two gave chase, knowing where the monstrosities were going, and they found themselves running side by side towards the docks, Speedy leading the way just slightly. Silently they ran, until he felt the silence had become oppressing. "Long time no see, Aqualad." He said without pausing in his stride, a grin popping onto his face. He remembered him from the competition all of those months ago, and he remembered the battle. It had been a difficult fight, and he had some respect for the teen in the black leotard. "Anything interesting happening?" He forced himself to sound like he didn't find the current situation to be a big worry.

"Not really. Same old, same old." He said, sounding much more convincing than he had, making him envy his cool attitude. How did he do that? He never felt that cool, even in battle. "How about you?" He said, glancing over at him.

"Nothing much. Been a little busy lately." He said, trying to maintain his cool, even with the pace they had set. The two robots were beginning to fade into the distance, and the thought of that young lady alone with the three robots brought goose bumps to his entire body. He felt a little winded, but had run much farther before, and had no plans of slowing down anytime soon.

Aqualad glanced over again, giving him a withering look. "This bozo has been giving you trouble? You must be out of practice. I would never have let him get away from me." He had a grin on his face as he finished talking, looking a little smug. He knew he had scored a point with Speedy, who was always competitive.

Speedy simply grunted, acknowledging the hit to his pride. He ran on silently for another minute, and then finally spoke again. "I hope your friend is okay…" He trailed off, unsure of how to continue. She had followed his advice, and if anything happened to her, he would be wracked with guilt.

Aqualad glanced over, more serious than before, and spoke again. "Bumblebee can handle herself. Don't worry. She'll be fine." He said it with a grim smile, and Speedy simply nodded a moment later, he spoke again. "I'm going to head this way. See you there." He suddenly shot off down an alley, and Speedy almost followed him. However, he wanted to stay behind her in case something happened. Besides, it was fairly easy to follow the path of destruction that had been left behind by the three robots. It wasn't like they were trying to hide their departure…

It had been a long time since Bumblebee had flown in such a way. She wasn't used to the twists and spins, the loops and twirls that were common in the maneuvers she was now making, her training having become rusty on the trip. It would have been simple had it been a straight flight, but the three robot were continually taking pot shots at her with whatever might be handy. The first car they had thrown had nearly hit her, and fancy flying was the only thing keeping her both ahead of the crazy machines, and from becoming a smeared bug. She shot down the street, not bothering to see the stunned look on the faces of the everyday people around her, and focused on moving faster. She had topped eighty at this point, and couldn't for the life of her figure out how the three robots were keeping up with this frantic pace. She looked over her shoulder at the things, noting how they seemed to flow up the street like rolling water. Gizmo would have been jealous at the sight and would have vowed to build something capable of destroying them, had he ever seen them. They were defiantly the work of a professional, she had to admit. The Mechanic might be a joke, but his creations were far from it. She noticed another piece of debris thrown in her direction by one of the three things and twisted once more, dropping down slightly to let the object pass overhead, then shooting forward out of range of another piece of rock. She continued to move, flowing down the street at a reckless pace, skimming the ground at some times, and then heading up to the rooftops at others. Finally she saw what she was looking for – a sign pointing towards the docks. She had changed course half a second later, turning down a large, long avenue, catching the robots off guard as they skidded into the turn, not having expected their quarry to turn from her course. She gained a few feet, escaping the range of all but the most determined projectiles, and speed ahead with a renewed effort. She could see the docks in the distance, and her goal was in sight.

Once again, she found herself wondering how she had managed to get in this situation, unable to believe that she was flying away from three giant monstrosities at top speed without even the slightest bit of sweat on her brow. It was times like this that made her wonder about herself some times. It was also times like these that often got her in trouble, and she found herself crying out in pain as a smaller piece of flying rock collided with her shoulder, defiantly causing bruising, and leaving a mark that would make any normal person fall. She almost fell to the ground, but was able to pull up even as she came close, pulling herself back into a flight path, ignoring the pain that filled shoulder and back. She chided herself as she flew back up, knowing that she should have been paying attention to her surroundings. She was better than this, yet she had managed to make at least two rookie mistakes within the last hour, if not three. _Honestly, girl, you should be ashamed…_ She thought to herself, shaking her head and keeping a weather eye out for any more rubble flying in her direction. The robots seemed hesitant to throw anything else, though, and she couldn't figure out why for a minute until the fact that she had almost dropped the Mechanic came into her mind. _They won't hurt him…_ The thought made her smile grimly even as it ran through her head. So, they did possess some measure of intelligence. _Good._ She felt the grin widen slightly, then looked back up towards her target. The docks were just ahead. Now all she needed to do was slow down the things so that her friends could catch up, and they could play hot potato with the guy she had in her bag. She zoomed through into the huge stacks of containers that were stacked maze–like around the whole dockyard. She shot towards a wall up ahead of her, not noticing the robots spreading out to catch her within the maze. She took a turn at the first wall, shooting off to the right without a moment's hesitation. Almost a full second passed before she realized that the alley was blocked by one of the robots, standing with pincers ready to grab both her and him, and to rend her limb from limb. Only one idea entered her mind as she considered how to escape, and she put it into effect almost instantaneously. Without changing course or speed, she flipped her body around and extended her right leg in a kick that both sent the robot falling towards the ground with a loud crack, but also sent her racing back down the alley in the other direction, negating the surprise that the machine had gained by dropping in on her.

At least, that's what she thought, until another robot popped out in front of her, also ready to catch her in its snare. She gave it the same treat as the first, angling her body upwards, planning on going over the stacked freight – right until the third appeared overhead, boxing her in. Once again she kicked off of the machine, but this time she forced her brain into action, coming up with a split second plan. Smoothly, as she descended towards one of the walls, she dropped one of her hands from the net that contained the Mechanic and pulled one of her stingers out. Kicking off of the wall even as two of the machines kicked into action, she shot towards the other side of the alley, her hand extended, and with a quick blast, she blew a hole in the thin steel large enough to fit both her and her prisoner through. She was through it, and the next one, within a matter of seconds, twisting down one of the alleys with a laugh. That laugh ended a moment later as one of the robots began punching its claws through the containers, attempting to grab her, while another robot burst through the steel behind her, and the third threw itself overhead, giving it an opening to strike through the containers on the other side. _Sheesh, I didn't even get properly introduced and they're all over me._ Her demeanor was grim as she raced towards another wall, and she found herself wondering how she was going to get past the robots up ahead. She fired back with her stinger at the pursuing robot, trying to slow it down, but it felt like it was a wasted effort against what seemed like a hopeless situation. That is, until she noticed a shadow overhead. One glance gave her renewed hope.

Aqualad had chosen that moment to show up, and he was starting the show off with a bang. Without making a big fuss, he grabbed one of the containers that had been sitting in front of him and threw it at the robot directly behind her. Unable to change course quickly enough, the robot was crushed beneath the load, even as it brought its arms up to attempt to deflect the load. Though it continued to move after the crate was thrown off, it had been stopped for a moment, and the cylindrical shape now resembled more of an oval. It also seemed a little wobbly, as it seemed to have a hard time starting back up again. Bumblebee was grateful, but was too busy to say anything about it as she passed through the hole he had just made in the wall in front of her, zooming ahead with her goal in sight. Ahead lay the ocean, and there wasn't a boat in sight. A loud noise behind her reminded her that she wasn't alone in the containers, and she looked back at the robots. She found herself wincing as they knocked aside a bundle of empty steel crates, watching as they fell on top of Aqualad, hiding him from view. She knew that it took much more than that to stop him, however, and she wasn't afraid that he had died. Having seen him take tougher blows than that from other villains, she had no worries about him getting crushed. His tough, water tested body would see him through, and he would be back in the fight momentarily. All she had to do was keep the toy soldiers entertained for a little bit longer.

As she came out of the crates, one of the robots went airborne, trying to get ahead of her to cut her off. It was intercepted mid-flight by a pair of arrows that exploded on impact, damaging the robot's eye, leaving it a little more vulnerable as it crashed among its fellow machines, forcing all of them to the ground. As they stood, Bumblebee took another shot with her stinger at the oval one's eye. Seeing her attack, Speedy also shot one of his arrows into the same eye, and finally they managed to damage one of the machines, causing smoke to pour out from multiple orifices, and the robot to come crashing down, deactivated and short circuited. The other two seemed to hop their friend and ran at the two young super heroes, forcing them apart, both under attack from a robot. Bumblebee was about to attempt to get physical with the thing when Aqualad reappeared, diving through the planking underneath the robot she was fighting, and grabbing a limb and pulling it under the water in a second's notice, ready to pull the thing apart now that it was in his ballpark. Instead, she focused on Speedy's robot and began to attack, sending a line of electricity across it's shell, causing little more than cosmetic damage, but more importantly, distracting the machine as it brought it's arms over it's head to ward off another attack. Speedy took advantage of the situation and fired a trio of arrows at the robot's eye, which were barely deflected as it threw its arms over it. Which left the thing's back open to attack once more.

She focused on one area in the robot's back, and watched as the metal grew hot, thinning slightly as she got its attention once again. Again, Speedy struck out, and the robot, now confused, threw itself to one side, turning back to face the young super heroes and charging its beam attack. Neither gave it a chance to use it, as it found its front raked by both electrical fire, and by numerous exploding arrows. Step by step they forced it back, until the thing found its back up against one of the containers. With a smile, Bumblebee figured out how she was going to finish the robot. "Catch!" She yelled, throwing the Mechanic into the air, her other hand grabbing for her stinger as soon as the burden was lifted. The robot looked up at its creator, attempting to figure out how to catch him – and that's when she struck. Both stingers lanced out with a volley of bolts, and a trio of explosive arrows also hit their target, breaking through the casing and into the more delicate equipment. A moment later, she shot forward and caught the so called super villain, not even paying attention as the robot tumbled to the ground in ruin. She glanced over at the smoking pile, and then looked back at Speedy. "Nice workout." The superior tone in her voice should have sent him up a wall, but instead she watched as he grinned impudently at her. _Yeah, he's a good kid_. She thought to herself.

"A warm up maybe." He said with a grin. He looked over at the hole Aqualad had made, and then spoke again. "Do you think he needs help?" She would have responded, but the answer came in the form of the robot, beat nearly apart, came flying up out of the very same hole it had been pulled into, followed a moment later by Aqualad himself, looking refreshed by the swim. "Scratch that." He said dryly, looking at him with a spark of humor in his eyes. He watched as Bumblebee set the Mechanic against the grate, and then wielded the metal netting to the thing. It would hold him until the police arrived, and that would keep the local population safe for now. "I see you've done this before." Once again, the dry humor could be heard loud and clear in his voice.

"More often than you could imagine." Her voice was dry, and the three of them shared a look of familiarity, one that could pass only between heroes. They all knew what they risked when they entered this line of duty, and it was a common bond between heroes, one that would make any hero stand up for another, should it ever become necessary. "You don't look like a slouch in the fighting department either." A smile appeared on her face as she openly appraised him. He chuckled, but it wasn't him that responded.

"That's true, alright. He's managed to beat me in one on one combat before, so slouch is the least of things I could call him." Aqualad said. That earned a raised eyebrow from Bumblebee, but she didn't say anything – at least, not yet. "I didn't know that this was the area you were patrolling. I thought you were covering another place, like Detroit." He said it without any malice, so the comment lost any sting it would have had. Aqualad was smiling as he spoke, taking off any edge that it might have had.

"I was for a little while, but I moved to Steel City about four months ago, looking to help out more here. Besides, Detroit's got other super heroes. Steel City's got no one, besides me at least. And you too, for now." Speedy leaned back slightly as he spoke, looking up towards the sky, and for a moment, Bumblebee wanted to discuss the real reason that they were here, but after a moments thought, decided against it. It was bad form, especially considering that she was still in front of a super villain. "So, what are you guys doing here?" he asked with a sly glance over at her.

"Let's keep that a secret for now." She said without a moment's hesitation, not giving Aqualad a chance to blurt anything out. She tried to push the topic aside, and quickly brought another matter to attention. "Shouldn't we be getting out of here? Won't the cops be arriving soon?" As if to stress her point, siren wails could be heard in the distance, closing in on their location. It wasn't a pretty sound, but it never had been.

"Yeah, we should be going." Aqualad said, a little bit of remorse clearly present in his voice. He wouldn't say it, but Bumblebee knew that he would be very disappointed if they left right now without him. Even though, personally, she could care less, the guy did seem nice enough. "Anyways…" He trailed off, not sure of what to say.

"Do you guys need a place to stay?" Speedy blurted out, catching both of the heroes attention. Neither had slept anywhere but rooftops recently, and even the though of taking a shower sounded heavenly to Bumblebee. "I've got a place not far from here, if you're interested." He seemed eager to spend more time with Aqualad as well, and even though she wasn't completely certain, she was willing to give him a chance – as long as he had a shower she could use. That alone would make him all right in her book.

Both of them looked at each other for a moment, and then they looked at him. "Sounds good to me." Bumblebee said, smiling. She wanted to rest a little bit after this crazy adventure they had just been through, and taking care of any injuries would be better done in a home or an apartment rather than the street.

"When can we get there?" Aqualad said, smiling widely, glad to be able to take a break himself. Though he was tough, getting a chance to eat would be great, and bathing would be a definite plus. Besides, after the crazy day they had just been through, they really needed some time to rest and relax. "I'm definitely past ready."

Once again, Speed found himself grinning. "Let's go then." He said with a sly tone of voice. They were in for a surprise, and he loved surprising people. As the police cars began to close in on their location, the three super heroes took off, flying, jumping, and running away from the docks, heading out into the night. The Mechanic was left behind, almost forgotten, and soundly defeated. He grumbled at being dismissed so easily, and quietly swore to himself that he wouldn't ever let such impudent children defeat him ever again. He would be great. He would rise again. When the police found him, he was ranting and raving with the endless sound of one who has lost his mind.

Speedy felt a grin fill his face as he stared at his new friends faces. Sure, they would probably have their revenge, but he didn't think that he would mind all that much. Besides, this moment of sheer shock plastered across their faces was priceless. They had probably thought that he had meant apartment when he had said home, not the small thing he was living in right now. After all, it wasn't nearly as big as the place his mother was living in right now, and she had actually made the place smaller than she had originally planned. This was just his personal hovel, nothing special, to him at least. Obviously they though differently.

"You live here?" Bumblebee looked flabbergasted at the sight. She was starring at his two stories, five bedrooms, three baths, indoor swimming pool equipped home. That was counting out the hidden rooms and weapons stashes he had hidden therein. "How can you afford to live in something like that!" She sounded a little offended at the thought, though he could also see a little bit of envy in her eyes. For a moment he wondered if she thought he was flaunting his money, and then he shook it off. He hadn't chosen his mother, or his father, and his luck was just the luck of the draw. "I could never pay for rent on something like that!" She seemed in shock, but he hoped she kept it down. He didn't want her disturbing the neighbors – they had enough complaints about the weird actions and friends he kept.

"A little flamboyant, don't you think?" Aqualad added in a moderated tone of voice, sounding only mildly surprised at his home. The look on his face hadn't been quite as shocked as Bumblebee, but it had been close. His comment made Speedy's eyes narrow. Didn't they realize that he had cut back quite a bit on the so called necessities in his life already? He would be utterly lost without his own spa – he needed those relaxing hours to ready himself for the coming day. "Would not something a little smaller have been more pragmatic? This seems…" He drawled off, unable to figure out what to say that wouldn't offend his friend.

Bumblebee had no such reservations. "Wasteful? Pointless? Showing off? It's so much bigger than one person needs…" She trailed off, shaking her head, and Speedy found the smile that had been running across his face disappearing. Did these people have no sense of style? No flair? He sighed and shook his head.

"It's not much, but its home." He said, giving her a warm grin that spoke volumes. "I hope you'll take full advantage of my many relaxing trinkets in there. As for myself, I think a shower would be great right about now." He began walking down the driveway, not bothering to even attempt the frantic pace he had been moving at earlier. His legs already felt like rubber, though he had been through worse, and he couldn't wait for a chance to relax, if only for a moment. Aqualad followed immediately, and after a moment, so did Bumblebee, if a little less willingly. She caught up after a moment, and they walked up the driveway in silence, reaching the door without incident.

As he opened the door, Bumblebee asked a single question. "Does anybody live here? Besides you, I mean." She sounded slightly nervous, and for a moment, he had no clue why. Then it hit him. She wanted to talk, and in a bit more controlled environment, and if no one else was around, it would be much more likely that he would be able to figure out what was going on. Though he had enjoyed his little surprise, he would have put that aside without question to find out what the two of them were doing here.

"No. I live by myself. Come in, come in." He opened the door after a moment, having unlocked it while he spoke. He gestured for both to go inside first, and smiled, knowing that courtesy would make the two feel a little more at home. "Are you hungry? Or thirsty, maybe? If you are…" He found himself cut off as the door closed, and he turned around in time to see both of his guests plop down on the furniture, exhausted. Rolling his eyes, he locked the door and joined them, heading over to a very comfortable chair.

"So, I think we can exchange some information here." Bumblebee said, having lain out across the couch, nursing a bump on her head. Speedy sat up a little straighter at the comment, much, if not all, of his weariness cast aside. This was what he had wanted to know from the first time he had met them. They had dodged the question with the agility of a neurotic chimpanzee, avoiding the matter until this point. Why were two young superheroes in Steel City? What had drawn them to a town even the Justice League would approach warily? "First off, don't call me Bumblebee in private. My name is Karen, and in private, that's what I go by." She sounded a little tired while saying it, and he wondered how many people had a problem calling her by her first name. Especially since she had become a super hero – so many people seemed to think that life didn't exist outside of their heroism.

"Sounds good." Speedy said, leaning back slightly. He didn't want to seem too interested, or she might try to get something out of him for it. Although, since she had already given him some blackmail, he felt it only fair to give him some as well. "I'm Arthur. And you're Garth, right?" He said, looking at Aqualad for conformation, having gotten his real name when they had met earlier during the tournament. He nodded, and Arthur smiled at him. He didn't answer the unwritten question that was on Karen's face, and instead, he asked one of his own. "So, what are you two ding in Steel City? Not that I don't mind the help…" He said trailing off and shrugging his arms, "As you can see, I could use it."

The two looked at each other for a moment, obviously uncomfortable to bring the subject up. Finally, Garth looked at him, after taking a moment to shrug to his companion, and said, "We're looking for a Super villain. He goes by the name of Brother Blood." Arthur's eyes narrowed and he found himself wondering more about this person they appeared to be chasing. "He's one of the most dangerous villains we've ever fought, well versed in many forms of combat. He has a lot of contacts in a lot of places, and we believe that he has been controlling a couple of nationwide gangs, controlling them and making ruthless power bids and such. He also has strong ties to the HIVE Academy, which, although you might not have heard of it, is a place specially created to train young super villains." He made a face at that, and Arthur had to agree with the feeling. _And we don't have enough trouble already with the Super villains that are already on the street, do we? _It was a bitter thought, one that made him grimace slightly.

Karen continued on, taking Garth's speaking place and continuing to explain. "We managed to unravel his latest plot, and we separated him from the rest of his underlings. He managed to elude us, however, and the Teen Titans sent both Garth and me here after him, to try and to catch up and capture him." She stopped for a moment, a shadow falling over her face, making her hazelnut features seem darker, more threatening. Arthur wondered quietly what left such a mark as to darken her face like that before she spoke again. "Since then, we've been chasing him all around the continental US, going from town to city, and everywhere in between as well. Our last stop, we managed to find information pointing us in this direction. After a little time spent verifying it, we came here." She stopped again, sighing.

Garth once again took on the narrative, even though Arthur wanted to break in and ask some questions. "We've been here about a week, but we haven't found a trace of the slimy leech, and it isn't helping either of our attitudes. We've both checked every contact we can find, but we've had no luck. Nobody seems to know where he's gone." A look of annoyance crossed his face, and he stared out into the air.

Arthur waited for a moment before he broke in. He leaned forward out of his seat, looking at Karen, and said, "Are you sure he came here? He could have gone anywhere, really. He could have gone back to Jump city, even." He found himself shrugging as she gave him a steady glare. "It's not like there's anything really all that important here. There's not much in the way of electronic or chemical advancement that happens in Steel City. There's too much corruption going on around here." He had never been impressed with many of the cops or judges round about the area, except for the few who actually did any work. Having lived in the City for a few years, he had come to the conclusion after watching some of the most corrupt and evil men he had ever known escape justice time and again. It was what had drawn him to the superhero business in the first place.

Karen looked at him, giving him eye contact, not letting his eyes drop away from hers. "Our leads were solid, and we'd know if he returned to Jump city. The Titans would have called us A.S.A.P. to help bring him in. He's become one of their top priorities, and we wouldn't give him the satisfaction of simply letting him rebuild his lair." She seemed a little perturbed at the notion, even as she debunked the idea in front of him. Once again, Arthur wondered if there was a reason she seemed so tense when she talked about him. He didn't ask, however, and let her continue. "We've been hounding him too tightly, though, and I don't think that he's had time to come up with any big plans. His last few seem to have been slipping, and I wonder if he thought we were getting too close. As for the reason he's here… I couldn't even begin to fathom the reasons he might have. I don't think any superhero can." She sounded a little less bold as she spoke, and Arthur found himself wondering if it was the truth, or if she was still hiding something.

One thing at a time however. "Why are you so centered on finding this guy, Karen? Is there something personal about it?" He asked, looking at her. He wondered if that was a question he should have left alone, as her eyes met his once again. Though her face seemed impassive, her eyes were a whole other story. They burned with a fire that seemed ready to leap out and burn him and his house to cinders where they stood. At the same time, there was a cold sadness that lay quietly in the back of them, one that made the fire in front seem more intensified than before. It almost frightened him – which, considering that he fought monsters and super villains on a daily basis was impressive.

Garth broke the tense silence that had built up between the group, and Arthur forced his gaze away from Karen and looked at him as he spoke. "Karen was a spy in H.I.V.E. for us for quite a bit of time. She helped us stop Brother Blood's plans in Jump city, and she's been helping ever since. She hated him, and his school, with a passion that could be considered unholy. I would say that she's his worst enemy, and I probably wouldn't be all that far off." He smiled slightly at her, even as she gave him a blank stare. "I wouldn't want to be in his shoes when she gets a hold of him. You couldn't pay me enough." He grinned at her, and a small smile appeared on her face, one that was genuine. She sniffed at the last comment, but didn't say anything about it being incorrect.

"So, how long are you guys planning on staying?" Arthur said, trying not to sound too interested about it. Truthfully, the longer they stayed the better. He needed all the help he could get in this town.

The two looked at him, smiling easily. "Why, need some help or something?" Karen asked, obviously being challenging, almost saying _what, can't take the heat? _Garth, even if he didn't say it out loud, had the thought spinning through his eyes. It was almost insulting.

That is, it would have been insulting, if it hadn't been the truth. He needed all of the help that he could get at this point. He was being overwhelmed, and he was running out of the strength to fight back against even some of the weaker villains. There was just too much work for someone his age. "Yeah, I could use some help." He said, looking at them without expression. Both of them looked at him seriously, all traces of humor pushed aside. If he would swallow his pride enough for that statement, they would both put aside their usual feelings and help him out for at least a little while. "Things here have been getting out of hand recently – I'm barely able to protect a quarter of the city at a time, and it's more than I can handle right now. If you guys could help…" He trailed off. It wasn't pleasant to say that he wasn't able to handle it, but he wouldn't let his pride get in the way of any decision, especially when the people of the city were at stake.

"We'll be here until we find Brother Blood, or where he's move to. After that… Well, we'll see what happens. I won't make a promise I can't keep." She looked him in the eye, not boastful in the least. She was utterly serious, and it made him smile. At least it would help him keep the city in order for a while, and that would help him immensely. "Now, about those bathrooms… you have any showers?" She smiled at him, looking towards the rest of the house.

With a smile, he gestured her forward, playing the good host. "Of course – There's one for each of us. There's also bandages and antiseptics in case either of you were hurt worse than it looks like. And, of course, beds and such, in case you two are tired…" He continued to ramble on as he led them into the house, getting both of them more comfortable. In no time, they were all readied and in bed, dead to the world.

The morning light was what woke Garth in the morning. That, and the sound of fried eggs and singing in the background. While he wasn't exactly a morning person, he appreciated that their host was kind enough to make breakfast for them. He looked over at the nearby clock, and then adjusted his thoughts. _Okay, it's good of him to make us brunch._ A smile slowly slid on his face, and he quickly dressed and headed out towards the kitchen. He entered, looking amused – and found himself struggling not to laugh. Arthur had apparently forgotten that he had invited guests into his apartment last night, and he was now cooking breakfast in nothing more than a pink pair of loose boxers. Had it been tighty-whities, Garth would have probably had a hernia in his laughter, which would have left him rolling on the floor, something he was tempted to do now. It couldn't get any more perfect than this – he had blackmail that he would never live down.

"_I'm, too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, So Sexy it hurts…"_ He moaned out with the song, pitch perfect. It was enough to make him cover his mouth, trying to hold back the laughter, and the tears.

"Arthur!" A shocked, embarrassed voice called out over the kitchen, making the skinny teen jump in shock and embarrassment. His face turned a bright red color, and Garth could take it no more. He dropped to the floor, laughing and rolling, trying not to pee on himself as he burst a gut with his peals of laughter. As soon as he gained enough control to look up he sat up and looked for Arthur, hoping he had time to make another comment. However, it appeared that he had already left, running to his room, more than likely putting his clothes on. He glanced over at the stove, where Karen had taken over the cooking, and looked at her grinning face. She looked at him and spoke again. "What a morning, don't you say?" She was blushing slightly, but other than that, she was dressed normally, in her pajamas.

"Looks like it." He replied, still grinning widely. He looked down towards where Arthur's room lay and listened as a beeping noise came through the wall. He couldn't help but wonder what was going on in there. "What's cooking?" He asked, suddenly hungry after the prolonged laughter. He hadn't laughed like that since Karen had been caught sneaking a kiss with Cyborg in a closet. That, and watching them chase Beast Boy around after he had taken a picture of the scene had been almost as good. It was sad that he had been unable to escape before they had destroyed the camera.

"Eggs, and it looks like he already cooked up some sausage. Want a piece?" She held up a link, eating another piece herself, and waved it in front of her. Garth was at the counter a couple of seconds later, and he engaged in a quick contest, trying to grab the slippery link out of her hands. She tossed it up, about to let it fall into her mouth, and he snatched it out of the air, putting it in his mouth even as her mouth closed around empty air. She looked at him with a pouting face, and he glowered in victory, happy to have won that little game. They were about to start dividing it up when Arthur came out, dressed in full gear, quiver and all. One look at him and Karen was all business. "What's up?" Her voice was no nonsense toned, and her eyes were focused on him.

"I just got a call from the cops. A Super powered villain just escaped transport about half an hour ago. He's tearing up the south side highway, and the cops are totally out of their league. I'm going out to try and stop this guy. You guys want in?" He grinned grimly, and was stretching even as he was talking. "If not, I can probably…"

"Give us three minutes, brief-boy." She said with enthusiasm, getting a blush from Arthur even as he stared bullets – well, arrows, in his case – at her. Both of them were running to their rooms, all thoughts of breakfast pushed aside. They would eat at McDonalds or something on the way back if they were that hungry and they were always ready to stop a crazed villain. After a minute, both of them came out of their rooms, hastily dressed and ready to go, both armed with their usual gear. As Garth headed for the door, Arthur grabbed his shoulder and spoke.

"Let's use my ride instead. It'll be faster." He grinned and pointed towards the garage, opening the door swiftly. Inside, a one wheeled bike stood ready to go, two helmets on the large seat. Garth felt his eyebrows go up. This was his ride? _You have got to be kidding me…_ "If you don't mind flying…" He said, looking over at Karen, looking somewhat amused.

"Better than riding on that contraption." She said, sounding derisive. She grinned at Garth, even as he was pulling his helmet on, and sniggered at the paleness of his face, which earned her a glare. "So," She said to Arthur with a casual tone, "What's this villain's name?"

"The police called him Cinderblock…"

The downtown highway was usually bustling at seven o'clock in the morning. Normally, bumper to bumper traffic, with construction sites and workers blocking half of the lanes carelessly, was the worst that the police ever had to tangle with. A snarled fender bender, a speeding motorist, those were things that were normal for the police force of Steel City. A major accident even happened occasionally. Today was anything but normal, however, as most of the cops of the city had discovered. And it wasn't because of some bad construction. Destruction, in fact, was the major concern at this point, and the police's biggest concern was keeping everyone, themselves included, alive.

About ten minutes ago, a truck had collided into another eighteen wheeler, cracking open the cargo case like an egg. This would have been routine, save that the only passenger on board the truck had been a super villain, one who was built much as his name suggested. While not overly intelligent, the creature was nigh invulnerable, bullets having no effect on his hulking exterior, and his strength was equal to that of a two ton metal crusher. It was used with considerably less discretion, and soon cars, rubble, and the occasional lamppost lay strewn about the area at large, rendering the traffic in the area, those who hadn't already fled in terror, into incapacitation. Even as they watched, the hulking creature seemed to be bearing down on a lady and her child, who were frozen by panic as the hulking creature came closer, step by step. "My baby, My baby!" She yelled over and over as the monster stepped closer, and Officer Holly Sampson couldn't help but flinch away, with one final thought as she prepared to watch the woman and her child be killed by the thing. _That is such a clichéd line…_

A moment later she discovered that her prediction about the woman wasn't going to come true – at least not at that moment. A blur of yellow movement snatched the woman out of the way at the last second, flying her out of harms way, dropping her behind police lines after one final scream. Confusion lit up her face, even as she moved in to prevent the woman from screaming and drawing the monster over to her lines she had set up behind the crudely build barrier of police cars. She looked back a moment later to see a number of explosions rock the monster back on it's heels, and after a second, in which an odd, one wheeled contraption rocketed by, a skinny lad, dark haired and thinly muscled, dove in and landed a blow on the villains chin, sending it staggering backwards even more. The boy then threw another punch, but this one was blocked, and a moment later one of the creatures large paws sent him flying into a car on the other side of the bridge, making Holly wince in sympathy. "Aqualad!" The voice of the first blur called out in concern, and she found her eyes drawn upwards by the effeminate voice. One look was enough to tell that she was looking at a young woman, a fact made obvious by the top, which she though was too tight around the girl's bodice. She was also skinny looking, but was also holding a deadly looking pair of weapons and had a pair of wings sprouted from her back. It was an amazing sight, one that was made even more spectacular when she fired a pair of electrical attacks at Cinderblock.

The monster had more than enough experience to know how to protect itself, however, and it threw its hands up in defense, blocking both her electrical attack, and a series of arrows that Speedy, the local young hero, fired in its direction. After the attacks stopped for a moment, both hands dipped into the rock beneath them and scooped up two portions of highway, throwing them in their general direction, attempting to crush the two offending pests. The girl moved up and away, and Speedy was able to avoid the debris, jumping and pirouetting, but his bike wasn't as lucky, as a chunk of rock slammed into its side, throwing it aside like a child's toy. Speedy took one look at it before he spoke. "Hey! I just detailed that!" He screamed at the creature, only to notice, seconds too late, that it had approached within striking distance. He was educated a moment later as he was backhanded and sent flying away, landing about eight feet away in a heap. Once again, Holly winced in sympathy, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy – that had to hurt. The girl dived in a moment later, attempting to keep the creature occupied as her friends recovered. A right hook to Cinderblock's face, followed by another couple of punches, each of which were clearly heard by everyone nearby – the sound of cracking stone was not one you could ignore. She shot back as the monster attacked – but once again, it showed an insight that went beyond any mindless creature. It slapped its hands together, causing a shockwave that disrupted her flight, sending her back into the blacktop. It rushed forward, eager to crush the small thing that was before her and was right on target – that is, until the young man, dressed in black and blue, rushed in and smashed the creature away with a mighty blow that sent it stumbling to the right, a loud crack heard as his fist connected.

Speedy proved he wasn't out of the fight either as he fired a pair of explosive arrows into Cinderblock's knee, causing the giant to buckle and cry out in pain. The girl, having gotten aloft and flying over the villain, drove its face into the ground with her feet, flying into the back of its head with both of her feet, forcing its head deep into the blacktop. With a bounce she flew upwards, propelled by more than just her legs, and she had swung around and begun to circle even as the monster started to get up again. Cinderblock once again attempted to clap his hands together to shock her out of the air, but this time she landed on the ground and wasn't knocked around by the buffeting winds. She blasted him once again, aiming for his face, and Cinderblock was forced to defend himself, backing away from the nearby cars. The boy, Aqualad, moved in once again, lancing in for a few quick blows, Dodging the returning punch, and was blasted back by an arrow that wrapped around his body, entangling his arms in a super strong cord. Without stopping, the team landed blows in unison as the creature struggled to free itself. However, like all good things, it had to end. After almost a dozen blows, the monster managed to turn into one of Bumblebee's shocking attacks, and after flexing his arms, he broke loose. Bumblebee and Aqualad both regretted that, as a moment later, the monster grabbed his right leg and her left and began to swing them around like a pair of toy dolls. Speedy proved invaluable, as a moment later one more arrow exploded, this time the arrow exploded into a wet goop that covered its face. Both hands immediately flew to Cinderblock's face – where they became stuck. Bumblebee and Aqualad both moved in and landed a combined blow on his gut, sending him flying backwards, and with a sickening crunching sound, and its hand were ripped from its face with a noise that made Holly's ears cry out for mercy. The team flew together for a quick moment of conference, and then flowed back apart, ready for battle. The boy in blue finally spoke then, calling out to his team mates. "Bumblebee, let's finish this!" He called out, Speedy providing a distraction with another barrage of arrows that were aimed at its face.

There was a grin on her face as she replied. "Defiantly! Let's finish this creep off!" Her voice was strong, even across all the distance between them, and the boy nodded. As the creature got to its feet, a rumbling sound could be heard. Holly felt her eyebrows rise up as she watched the boy extend his arms, wondering what he had planned. A groaning sound made her drop to her knees, instinct kicking in – one that saved her from a deluge of water. The fire hydrants that were nearby, four of them, burst simultaneously, and the water, instead of following the laws of physics, sprayed, in unison, into Cinderblock, drenching him and causing him to stumble. He roared in defiance as the water suddenly stopped, angered at the latest assault and he was able to take one step forward before Bumblebee struck. With pinpoint accuracy, she fired both electrical attacks into the monster. No one had realized the plan that had come into effect before hand, but it became startlingly evident as electricity coursed through its water soaked body, hitting every nerve simultaneously. After a couple of seconds, she let the attack stop, and the creature fell, unable to stand or move, knocked out by the currents that had run through its tough body. After a moment, a cheer went up from the crowd that had gathered to watch the proceedings. The three moved in, seemingly oblivious as they checked the villain, the boy in blue taking a piece of steel and bending it around the creature's hands, much like a pair of hand cuffs.

Holly couldn't help but be impressed by the decisive attacks and team coordination that had brought the creature down. If she could find such things in the station, she could clean this town up. As the two boys gathered the villain, bringing him over to the vehicle the police had commandeered – a tow truck – and the girl – Bumblebee, if she remembered correctly – began following them. With a quick movement, she started after them. "Hey, wait!" She called out, trying to get their attention. She was grateful when Bumblebee turned around, and she started to talk to her. "Excuse me, miss…"

The girl broke in then. "What can I do for you, officer? If you want to arrest me or my friends…" She sounded tired as she spoke, and Holly realized that she had only stopped to try and deal with a problem that had cropped up before. If she continued down that path of thought, she might not be able to get a line into the new group of super heroes.

"No, no, that not why I wanted to talk to you." She stopped for a minute, her eyes catching her unit's movement out into what looked like a war zone. They were moving with a uniform precision, taking the creature called Cinderblock into custody, driving off with him in tow. The rest of the force moved as quickly as possible to allow traffic to flow once more, directing cars past holes in the ground, trying to prevent the traffic snarl from becoming a nightmare. They moved with an efficiency that was born from both training and experience. "Would you step aside with me for a second?" She gestured to a somewhat empty section of roadway and started over herself. Bumblebee followed a moment later.

"Okay, what's up?" She seemed somewhat amused, a smirk having settled onto her face. It was a grin she was used to seeing on young people when they had some bit of information that she wanted. It was usually quite irritating, but she repressed any animosity that it might have left her feeling.

"Well…" After so long, it took her a moment to organize her thoughts, to let her idea out into the open. "I was wondering if I could get an inside line to you guys." She said, putting her idea out into the open. The look on her face was one of surprise, followed by her eyes narrowing a moment later. "I think it would give both of us an advantage."

"Why do you want a line to us? And what would we be getting out of this anyways?" She sounded a little wary and suspicious as well. Not surprising, considering the fact that the request was so unusual.

Holly felt a smile creep on her face despite herself. She knew exactly how to make the morsel seem juicy enough that it would tempt the young super hero to bite. "I think we could use your help with some of those cases that are considered 'Unsolvable.' And an inside line into the police office is always considered a good thing, especially when you're looking for information of some sort." Bumblebee's eyes flashed at the last statement, and her eyes narrowed again. Quietly, Holly wondered what was going on in the girl's mind. Whatever it was, it would have been interesting to know about. "Besides," She grunted out, wishing she didn't sound so bitter about it, "I don't quiet think that Commissioner Rayson has your – or the city, for that manner – best interest at heart. He takes one too many paid trips to Hawaii, if you know what I mean." She grimaced at that, her face matching Bumblebee's for a minute.

Bumblebee looked to be deep in thought for a minute, and then nodded to herself. "Okay, how about a compromise for now. Trade you cell numbers?" She offered, and Holly was forced to suppress a desire to dance in glee. _Hook, line, and sinker. _She couldn't stop the smile that swept her grimace away, and she pulled a card, with her number, out of her pocket, and handed it over. She also grabbed a second card, and flipped it over her other hand grabbing her pen.

"So who do I ask for?" Humor was the most obvious thing that could be heard in her voice as she spoke. This was something she had wanted since Speedy had jumped into the hero work in Steel city.

"Either me, or Aqualad for now. If we let Speed join our current number…" She trailed off as she looked at him, and she saw faint lines of amusement in the girl's face. "Anyways…" She handed the card back and flew off, moving off to join her friends as they moved off. One look at the retreating group left one impression in Holly's mind. Things were going to get interesting in Steel City. With a smile, she turned back to her job, getting to work. There was much to do. And, considering the way today was going, it was going to be a long day anyways.

**NEXT CHAPTER:** Bumblebee becomes entangled in a twisted plot, and a pair of kids appear, making life a little more interesting…


	2. More Or Less, If We Can

AUTHORS NOTE: I don't own the Titans, or any Nintendo games I may mention. Or Axel F (Frog song) or any other forms of entertainment or money. That's out of my particular range of income… Sigh. And to all those wondering why I called Speedy Arthur.. At the time I started this, I didn't know the Char.'s names. Likewise, I've got Mas y Menos named, even though I don't know their names.

Just so you know, this is AU - It's not the same as either the show or the comic book seiries (Which I've never read.)

_Newscaster: Wayne Enterprises today came forth with a most astounding offer, donating a very large amount of both cash and assets to numerous police stations across the country. Bruce Wayne paid the largest section of the bill, using money from unknown accounts to pay for upgrades to forensic equipment, weaponry, and the mobile units used to engage super powered villains. Steel City is among the lucky cities, receiving almost five million dollars worth of equipment in all of its many precincts…_

**MORE OR LESS, IF WE CAN**

Bumblebee had to admit that it was far nicer in Speedy's house than it was in any hotel she had ever been in. The rooms were comfortable and well designed, built for comfort and relaxation. The room itself wasn't anything special, but it was hers, and the boys knew that it was off limits. It was her one place to relax and escape the dull drudgery of normal everyday life. It had been about a week since the Cinderblock incident, and things had been quiet around Steel city. The criminal populace had apparently decided to lay low for a bit, and the police seemed to be in control of the situation. Although they hadn't been able to find a single lead, a little bit of good news had come in on the location of Brother Blood. For once, it seemed that she and Aqualad had managed to catch up to their elusive quarry. He was in the city – or so some source had told Officer Holly Sampson. It wasn't much, and she had been unable to pinpoint where, but it was a good start. It was enough, for now.

The room she was in was now 'officially' her room, and it held all of the things she had brought with her – which, truthfully, wasn't all that much. A couple of pairs of clothing, a small makeup kit, a few odds and ends, a picture of Cyborg, and her repair case for her stinger weapons, which she cleaned daily. Other than that, the room seemed bare as compared to the lush extravagance that filled the rest of the home. However, Karen preferred it that way, the aesthetic, Spartan surroundings more to her liking than the lush opulence that lay in the other rooms. Garth too had a room, though his had a little more stuff – Arthur had bought him a few things, at his request. It seemed a little odd to her, but she wasn't one to judge. _I wonder what Holly would think of it…_

Speaking of the Detective, who was starting to become one of her few non-super friends, Holly had called only once, and it had been to provide that little bit of information. That hadn't stopped them from getting into a two-hour conversation that was going to make Victor Stone, AKA Cyborg, throw a fit when he saw the bill next month. But it had been a step down the road of trust, one of many small steps. As for now, it was simply a friendly business associate. Other than that, life had been normal.

Well, somewhat normal, anyways.

Arthur had proven to be the oddest member of the new group that had formed in Steel City. He was almost obsessed with perfection, and with both looking and being perfect at every moment of the day. He used his bows and arrows to do chores occasionally, which explained the holes in most of his clothing, and in any pancakes that Aqualad ever managed to flip out of the frying pan, much to both teens annoyance. He didn't expect it from his friends, or though he professed, but while he was around, she often felt that he was judging her, something that would usually send her into a fit. Yet, at the same time, he was so chivalrous that she couldn't help but be somewhat charmed by his daily actions. Taking her chair out with one of his feet while he was cooking, making sure she was served first when dinner was served, it was the little things like that which made her feel welcome, despite his faults and quirks.

Garth wasn't any better, though. Since coming into Arthur's home, he had become more laid back, more willing to take a break. While she had to admit that after two months of searching without a break, that even a week was great, she had to worry about the fact that through this whole week, they hadn't done any searching themselves. They had spent the week in relaxation, sleeping, eating, and being normal teenagers. Garth, in fact, had spent most of the time in the swimming pool, doing laps over and over and over again, and it seemed like the only time he came out was when he was eating or joining them for a quick game of some kind, usually Super Smash Brothers Melee. Which, of course, she rocked at as Samus.

Karen herself hadn't been too active either. After wrapping her bruises up from the fight with Cinderblock, she had found herself talking a lot with Arthur. He was defiantly one of the quirkiest people she had ever met – and that was saying a lot. He was complex beyond what most people thought of him, which, sadly enough, had included her in the beginning. She should have known better than judging a book by its cover, yet she had immediately connected his strawberry blonde hair with a lack of intelligence. He had quickly disabused that particular notion, showing himself to be one of the best chess players she had ever seen. He had proved to be near Robin when it came to pure playing style, grace, and finesse, but she had found herself just barely able to stop him. Robin had been playing against his mentor, Batman, for ages, and had an ability at the game that was as fluid and natural as his fighting style, which even Brother Blood envied. No one, except possibly Batman, had the level of training that Robin did when it came to his particular brand of fighting – well, besides Slade. But he wasn't pulling any jobs at this time anyways, and was the Titans concern. Arthur was nearly as good, but he wasn't quite up to Robin's level – and probably never would be. Which was just as well, considering how good he was. When she played against him she had found herself struggling to come out even. She had, of course, but that didn't stop her from finding him to be a fun opponent.

In fact, she had come to be almost as close to him as she was to Garth in the time she had known him. Both he and Arthur had shared an experience prior to this moment, but she was unaware of both when and where it had occurred, and asking them would be considered prying too deeply into their personal affairs, so she had been limited to only a few minor inquiries, all of which had turned up empty handed. Garth had never been all that talkative to begin with, and sometimes could clam up better than any known mollusk, but she had spent almost eight months with him, and that time had opened up a few smaller chinks in his personal armor. But to be perfectly fair, when she compared the two, there were so many differences between them that it left her amazed that they got along as well.

Arthur was very self conscience, and spent a lot of time preening himself in a manner that would have made her laugh at herself in the mirror in thought of her vanity. He also spent an inordinate amount of time both practicing with his arrows, and with building different types of them, though quite a few seemed beyond any use at all to her. _A boxing glove for a tip? What's up with that?_ Her thoughts were both amused and confused, so she never commented on that particular quirk. He also tended to be self centered at times, focused on himself or his work more than on life itself, a habit that sometimes reminded her of her one time friend Gizmo. He was almost too perfect most of the time, but the few slip ups she had seen had been spectacular ones, and they tended to stand out fully in her mind. Thoughts of catching him singing in his skivvies during her first morning here ran through her mind, and she found herself blushing ever so slightly. Yes, when he fell, it was from the heights.

Garth on the other hand seemed withdrawn and hesitant most of the times, admitting faults when he had none, and often seeming to be too cautious for his own good. He almost never stepped out onto a limb, tending to be methodical and ponderous in his movements. It was one reason she never played him in chess often – he was just as likely to move as he was to put her asleep. He liked to plan eighteen moves ahead of his opponent, but for the life of him couldn't understand the purpose of sacrificing any of his pieces. He wouldn't put a single one of his pieces in jeopardy without at least one other backing it up. Of course, it made him a tough opponent, but getting around someone's defense had always been something she had specialized at. He also didn't tend to make mistakes – or, at least, if he did, they were so minor that they were barely worth mentioning. He made himself a hard target to make fun of, and she knew it – he was protected by an oblivious attitude, and also by the fact that his upbringing had been devoid of any forms of insult or scorn. She never really understood how, though. Even she had been taunted some as a child, even if it hadn't lasted all that long. She had always made sure the taunts ended quickly – or else.

The place was slowly becoming more of a home for her, one of the few she had been in besides the barracks in the Hive headquarters she had once occupied. It had started out only as a simple dwelling, but the few memories she had gained over this week had changed that. She wondered why for a minute, then simply shrugged her shoulders and thought about calling one of the boys out to play another game of Super Smash Brothers Melee. They would probably accept – there really wasn't anything else to do right now.

The sound of Axel F filled her ears, calling her back to her surroundings, and she quickly grabbed her cell phone. That particular tone told her that it was Officer Sampson who was calling, and she frowned as she contemplated the new charges and bills she would be putting on her phone. A moment later, she grinned, and she picked up her phone. "Bumblebee here." Karen said with a grin. "What'cha need?" She wondered what she was thinking. They had planned to wait until tomorrow before they had continued their previous conversations on the foibles of the weaker sex (Men).

"Bumblebee," Holly's voice was serious, almost grim sounding, and it pulled the smile off of her face like water. "Do you think you would mind coming down to the station? I could use your help on an interesting case that's got the rest of us stumped."

Bumblebee flew down to the station steps, landing without missing a beat, and walked up the steps, knowing that Officer Sampson would meet her in the front of the building. She ignored the many pointed stares in her direction and focused instead on what little information she had been given. _Three bank robberies, one of which had police standing inside the vault itself, and there isn't even a suspect! And none of the cameras have caught hair or head of the crook either._ Her mind whizzed into gear as she walked into the station, and the buzz of life their was enough to drown out her thoughts. One noise in particular, however, caught her attention, and she found herself turning face to face with Officer Sampson, who had just finished clearing her throat. After half a second, she directed her to follow, and led the way to a small, shabby office. It was cramped, but it had enough space for a few chairs, and she beckoned for her to sit down in one of the chairs as she sat in one that was behind large piles of paperwork. She did sit, and after a moment of silence, which to her seemed intolerable, she spoke. "So, what makes you think that I can help you?" Their was a little doubt in her voice, and it was, in her opinion, well deserved. She wasn't quite sure what she could do not without knowing what she was up against, at least.

Holly grimaced slightly, but it was obvious that she had a plan, and that she was fairly certain of it. "Well, first off, we can check out what the cameras picked up, if they got anything, and go over the other clues. Our CSI unit picked up a couple of little things that might be useful, and the reports from the other banks have been compiled. I know." She said with a small, bitter smile on her face, sticking her hand on the pile of papers before her, "Because I have all of it here. Took me long enough to get it together too." She added wryly at the end.

Bumblebee kept her mouth from twitching upwards in a smile, but it was a hard thing to do. Holly had that effect on her, however, and she couldn't say it was unexpected. "So what do we know, if anything?" Bumblebee said while leaning back in her chair, focusing her mind on the puzzle at hand, not closing her eyes, but letting them droop in concentration. "Or did you just get a wild hair and decide to see if I could come up with something?" She kept the humor rolling right back at her.

"Well," She was quiet for a minute as she grabbed some of her files and rifled through them, then stopped and smiled as she came up with one she was searching for. She popped it open and started again. "One of the few things that all of the banks had in common was this fellow right here." She pulled out a picture of a tall, large, well dressed, and Caucasian person, who would have seemed perfectly normal if he didn't have a greasy smile plastered across his brown haired face. "He's deposited money prior to every burglary, though it's only been his money stolen once. Though, if you notice, he had different identities in each." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Bumblebee repressed a desire to roll her eyes. "The fact that all three banks were robbed only a month after he had deposited his cash speaks volumes, though it's defiantly not him. He was in the bank checking to see if he could open another account when one of the robberies occurred. But… I think he knew it was going to happen. Anyways…" She frowned and flipped to another page, grimacing as she spoke again. "The only thing we've got that all three incidents have is that a stiff wind seemed to blow through the area just before the robberies are reported. That's the only identifying factor that all three have in common, but I think that there's more. I just can't figure out what for the life of me."

Bumblebee frowned, unsure of how to reply. This obviously was being done by someone or something, but she was far from certain about who or what was doing it. She tried to think about all of the super villains she had ever read up on – or fought for that matter – but none came to mind. None of them had either the know how or the powers to pull such a feat off – and most of them would have flaunted their new trick at least once. These robberies were cut and dry, both in planning, and in execution, and with as little evidence as was available, she had no leads to try and follow up on. "Well, I can't think of anything we could do to help you. The Titan's aren't going to be able to track a non-existent phantom, even one who's stolen so much money. If you had a little more to go on maybe, but with what you've given me…" She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders helplessly.

Holly nodded, looking somewhat depressed at the thought, unable to simply admit that the case was beyond both her and Bumblebee's skills. "If we could just get one more piece of information, we could arrest this guy, and I know I could crack him! Not as if I can get Commissioner Rayson to agree to any special treatment of the cases. If only he would let me install a camera into the vault!" She looked put out, and bumblebee found herself staring at her with an agreeing expression. "Or if he'd just let me put a bug in the money…" She trailed off as she saw Bumblebee's face go through a series of changes, from surprise to a feral grin. Holly's eyebrows went up, and she gave her a speculative look. "What?"

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this." Holly muttered as she moved into the vault, Bumblebee standing beside her. She wondered about how the girl had come up with such an insane plan on the fly, and wondered if she always acted this irresponsibly. _Not as if I'm any better. I'm an accomplice to the act either way…_ She thought to herself, knowing better than to attempt to dissuade the headstrong teen from her adventuresome idea. It was crazy – but it might just work, she had to admit. "You know, we could try electronically bugging it first. I'm sure I could get Rayson to agree to it…" She heard Bumblebee snort beside her and found her frown growing in its depth. It was legitimate advice, and she might be able to talk the Commissioner into it… well, probably not, but still…

Bumblebee looked up and down the rows of boxes and grinned at her consternation, not bothering to hide her amusement. She spoke quietly, but firmly. "It's not the first time I've done something like this. Shrinking down to a tiny, nearly microscopic figure is a piece of cake for me, and it's perfectly safe. I do it all the time when I need to get away for a while. I've hidden in my computer almost more often than I can count." She tapped the box she would be hiding in, not worried in the slightest about everything that could go wrong, the scenarios that flowed through her head seeming to fly right past hers. Holly wanted to cry, and it wasn't for the first time tonight. The idea had been crazy when she had brought it up in the first place, and her opinion of it hadn't changed since then.

When Bumblebee had first brought her idea forward, her crazy plan to shrink down and hide among the suspect cash, Holly had been adamant in her refusal to go through with it. Even after a rather surprising demonstration in which she had hidden underneath a pile of papers on her desk, all while continuing to try and win her over to her side of the discussion. She had finally found herself coming to a grudging acceptance of the plan after she realized that the girl would likely fold on the idea after a few days of pointless stakeout, unwilling to stick to an idea quite that long. After a few days, it would all be moot point anyways, since she wouldn't be able to get any more evidence on the cases, and they would be closed. It was a depressing, but often realistic way that the Steel City cops handled most cases that weren't solved within a few days. Even if they had information, often they were closed in a week anyways. It was rather depressing, but since the commissioner didn't care, it was, once again, moot point. However, when she though about Bumblebee being trapped in a vault for so long by herself, or the possibility that something might happen to her.

Once again, Bumblebee took point, shrinking into the size smaller than a bee and flying into the small key hole, sliding into the stack of cash that had been left there by the man. She shook her head, unable to figure out the young superhero's drive to stay so confined. Holly, though she would never admit it, was not fond of enclosed spaces, and wouldn't be caught dead in the position that Bumblebee had just put herself into. She sighed and walked out of the vault, barely noticing the buzzing voices around her until a teller planted herself in her path. She sighed, but didn't bother trying to step around her, even if that was what she wished she could do. "What can I do for you ma'am?" She asked, trying to remain civil in both tone and expression.

"Just what do you think you're doing here anyways, officer?" Her voice spoke of authority, even though she had none. She stood looking down her nose at her, and Holly had to stop herself from slapping the superior expression off of her pinched face. "Who gave you permission to come here at this ungodly hour anyways?" She seemed annoyed that she had waited until four thirty to come into the bank, apparently wanting to leave just on time, and afraid that she would delay that exit.

"For your information, Ma'am, your bank president gave me permission to be here." The annoyance she felt before had turned into a smoldering irritation, and since she did have the authority to be here, she didn't bother even trying to remain civil at this point. "And if you get in my way again, I'll make sure he knows about your interference, and I'll haul you down to the precinct. So DON'T get in my way." Her voice was utterly serious, and she almost smiled as the woman took a fearful step backwards, afraid of the ferocious cop in front of her. With a sigh, she walked around the lady – an obstruction on her way to the door – and began to walk out. The scene seemed almost surrealistic as she walked out into the setting sun, having just faced down a rather unpleasant woman just a moment before. Which what was made the gust of wind that seemed to whip around her all the more surprising. For a moment, a blur of movement seemed to appear nearby, but it seemed only to be a trick of the eye, and a moment later, the wind whipped back in the other direction. It sent her staggering to one side, and the shock that she felt was only compounded as she heard the guard at the vault cry out in alarm. In one moment she knew what had happened, though she almost wished it wouldn't have. The box that Bumblebee had flow into was now empty of both her and the money, and she now was the only link between the crime and the others that had occurred.

Even as she moved to secure the scene and call for backup, she had only one thought really in her mind._ I hope that Bumblebee is okay… or I'm in trouble._

Bumblebee had been expecting to wait in relative peace for at least a couple of hours before someone had bit the hook and taken the bait. But she had only had a few moments to settle down before she had felt a hand grab the wad of bills she had hidden herself within and found herself swept into a brown burlap bag before she could even blink an eye. It was a disorienting experience, and it left her stunned for a minute. During that minute, she felt like she was being dragged around, and fast enough to keep her bouncing among the many dollar bills, disorienting her further. However, she found coming to a halt even more disorienting, and after a sharp impact, she found herself taking a moment to try and get her bearings. A moment before she tried to get out of the bag, however, the bag was once again lifted, and she grabbed a handful of threads and held on as the bag was tipped around, pouring out all of it's contents – except for Bumblebee. A couple of seconds later the empty bag was thrown away carelessly, and Bumblebee landed on the floor once again, this time without the cushioning to support her. A grunt escaped her mouth, but it was drown out as others near her began to speak. The voices were harsh and cold, but even as they spoke, another noise reached her ears – a whimpering of fear.

"Well? Is it all there?" The first voice, rough and masculine, called out sounding quite impatient. She quickly began to move towards the front of the bag, her thoughts of simply bursting out and trying to suppress the ensuing panic put aside. From what was being said, and from the tone of the voices, she knew that something strange was brewing here. "If not, I want to have a little fun…" His voice sounded almost suggestive, and Bumblebee found her stomach churning in anger. Not so much at the man's comments as when she heard the whimper at the end of the statement. The sound was both female, and young, and she immediately felt that fire in her gut grow as her mind wandered over the possibilities that the man had been suggesting.

"Hey!" Another voice called out, causing Bumblebee to freeze in panic. Had they spotted her movement in the bag? A cold sweat popped out on her head for a moment before the voice spoke in an angry tone once again. "What do you two think you're doing?" A moment later the sound of flesh being hit resounded through to her, almost immediately followed by a second blow that sent the recipient to the floor. She wriggled towards the front of the bag, trying desperately to get a view of what was really happening outside the bag. She popped her head out a moment later, and found herself with a front row seat to the event.

Two young, red-headed boys were on the floor, their blue eyes filled with fear, and their small, thin frames quaking. Neither of them wore more than rags, and they were both covered in dirt and filth that seemed layered upon their bodies. From the looks of things, both had been separated rather forcefully by two adult men, both of whom were now raining more blows on the children. Another man sat at a table, looking up from counting stacks of hundred dollar bills, which she figured was the money that had been stolen earlier from the vault. Another man stood with a knife pointed at the neck of the aforementioned girl, who stood stock still, her eyes wide with horror at the scene that was unfolding before her. One last man was standing just off of the wall, his eyes blazing with a fire that made her wonder about his sanity. His brown hair was familiar to her, and it only took a moment to realize why – he was the man from the many pictures that Officer Holly had shown her. He was the next to speak, and Bumblebee heard him clearly as he spoke. "Who do you think you brats are?" He moved forwards at a speed that was almost frightening, and his right boot lashed out, catching one of the boys in his ribs, making the boy double over in agony. He turned his attention to the other boy as he spoke again, changing course slightly so he could hit him too. "Did you think you could try something?" He was almost screaming as he walked towards the other boy, and his right boot lanced out into the boy as he tried to struggle upright, sending his head flying back, a little trail of red coming out of the boy's mouth. A moment later the boy turned to his side, spitting out both a little blood, and one of his front teeth. Bumblebee had felt angry before, but as she watched the abuse before her now, she felt a furnace of hatred in her heart. These men had, in her eyes, placed themselves below almost every super villain she had ever fought before, and she almost shot out into them to teach them a lesson. Only her training kept her in place, and she found herself gritting her teeth. _Soon._ She promised herself, knowing full and well that she needed to make sure that the children in the room stayed safe first and foremost.

The man turned away, looking disgusted, and made a motion to the other men. They moved in a slow, methodical fashion, grabbing each boy and bringing them each to their own separate cage, then unceremoniously throwing them into it. "Next week we'll have you rob the last bank. Then, if you're good, we'll let her go." He motioned to the girl as she was dragged out of the room, and turned to face them once again. His face was covered in an unpleasant sneer, and an aura of malevolent hatred could be felt radiating from his presence. Both boys cringed back, a palpable fear felt in the air around them, even as defiance tried to remain on their faces, and his sneer seemed to deepen at the sight. "If you keep trying to pull stunts like this one…" He growled and, after spitting at the boy who hadn't lost any of his teeth yet, he walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Bumblebee heard a lively conversation start up behind the door, but it was inaudible, and she instead found herself focusing her attention on the boys in front of her, both of whom were now allowing the façade of toughness to fade and were breaking into pain filled sobs._ They're responsible for the robberies?_ The thought seemed ludicrous even as it flew through her head, but at the same time, it also was almost surely completely true. _But how is that possible? They can't be more than ten or eleven._ They were both extremely rough looking, and both had an odor that she was beginning to smell even from her current location. Their clothes were little more than rags that were held together only by a few mere threads, and they looked haggard and thin even from where she sat. How they could have done anything was beyond her.

After listening to the boys sob for a few minutes, she finally decided to move, and started over to one of the cages. It took her almost a minute since she was trying to remain both quiet, and invisible. It seemed to take forever, but it gave her more time to take in the surroundings. The cages themselves were nothing more than glorified dog kennels, without even room for the boys to stand upright in. The room itself was rough and rugged, filled with trash and refuse from a machine shop that had once operated within the building. Only one table was in the room, and the man who had been sitting at it was now out with his 'friends', if that was what they could be called, joined in this infamous activity, and the table now stood bare and empty. The only other thing in the room was the boys, who now sat nursing injuries both old and new. Without disturbing the boy, she flew over to the first boy's shoulder and whispered in his ear. "Hey."

It was not the best thing she could have done she realized a moment later as the boy cried out in fear, shocked into twisting around in his cage. "Who's there? What do you want?" His alarmed cry immediately got his brother's attention, and the brother called out something, but it was too soft for her ears to hear. She quickly realized that she had to silence him, and quickly.

"Shhhh! Quiet! Someone's going to hear you!" She whispered harshly, and the boy seemed to stiffen at the thought. A moment later she realized that she was too late, as footsteps began to echo through the hallway leading towards the door. The room seemed frozen in a taboo moment as the noise came closer, and a couple of seconds later one of the men burst into the room.

He looked annoyed, but didn't speak immediately. Instead his eyes scanned the room, looking for another disturbance. Then his eyes settled on the boy she sat hovering beside, and he growled out his next words in a harsh tone. "What's going on in here?" He sounded angry at having been disturbed, and was glaring at him with distaste.

The boy in front of her seemed frozen, unsure of what to say, and for a moment she thought that he was going to soil himself or something. However, his brother, who looked almost identical to him, answered the question for him. "I bumped my mouth, sir. It hurt, so I cried out." He shrugged his shoulders as the man turned to glare at him, and he shrank back slightly, smiling a little at the man in an attempt to curry favor. It was that little thing that revealed his missing tooth once more, and Bumblebee thought that it was that more than the excuse that made the man believe the lie.

"Don't let it happen again." He hissed at him, then turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. For a few moments there was silence as the footsteps moved out of range, and then both boys sighed, sounding relived.

"Thanks, Jose." The first boy said to his brother, sounding truly grateful to have escaped without having to come up with a cover for the noise. "Now," He said, turning back to his cage, his face turning speculative for a few moments, "Who spoke to me?" He looked confused, his voice low as he spoke, the sound of his words having only just carried over to his brother, who's face also screwed up in consternation. Both looked towards his cage.

Bumblebee decided to take a chance once again and spoke out, having come up to hover next to his right ear. "I'm right here." She watched his head whip around, and as his eyes finally caught sight of her, his eyes grew wider. She decided to speak a little more loudly so that the boys could both hear her, and started to talk again. "Who are you?" She asked quietly, hoping the boys were cooperative.

The first boy spoke quietly as he extended his hand for her to stand in, and she listened even as she stood on his palm. "I'm Juan." He seemed a little shy, and as he moved her, she saw his brother's eyes grow wide as well, having finally caught sight of her. "And my brother's name is Jose. What are you doing here?" There were a lot of feelings that could be heard in his voice, but she could only identify one – confusion.

"I came here looking for a thief." She said in a somewhat dry manner, rolling her eyes. A moment later she regretted her taking light of the situation, as both Juan and Jose seemed to shrink at her words, and a look of shame passed over their faces. "Why are you two involved?" She decided to get right to the point with them, rather than to try and slowly work them up to the truth. It looked to her like the two of them would probably spill their guts anyways.

The two looked at each other, and then Jose spoke out, deciding to start. "We don't want to be…" He said, looking downwards, unable to face her.

"But we don't have a choice." Juan said, continuing the sentence without too much hesitation.

"Devon found us on the street one day…" Once again Jose spoke, both of the children still talking softly and watching the floor.

"…Hungry, starving, without even a cardboard box to keep us warm." Juan sounded bitter as he spoke, and Bumblebee couldn't blame him for that fact. To be alone at their age would never be considered easy.

"He offered us some food if we'd help him, he said." Jose once again spoke, this time staring away from the floor. Bumblebee wished, just for a moment, that the narrative would stay put – the switching back and forth as if they were reading each others mind was giving her a headache.

"We got in his car… and he brought us here. He gave us a little food, a little water, and then he ordered us to…" Juan trailed off, and immediately Bumblebee felt fear creep up in her heart.

"We said no, and when he tried to grab us, we ran around him and tried to get away." Jose sounded a little proud of their attempt to escape, as if it had been a high moment at that point in time. Bumblebee quietly sighed within, grateful that the two boys hadn't continued down the line of thought she had previously followed.

"But when we got into the kitchen, almost to the door…" Jose spoke once again, tossing the narrative back to his brother with a pointed stare.

"Henry was standing their, pointing a knife at Alice's neck." Juan shuddered at the memory, and Bumblebee couldn't blame him. Something like that was scary, no matter what age you were at.

However, there was something that bumblebee couldn't understand. "Why don't you guys escape now, then?" She couldn't understand why they hadn't managed a break prior to this point, unless they were working with the men. If that was the case, though, then the rough treatment wouldn't have made any sense.

The twins looked at each other for a moment, and then Juan spoke again. "Well, we can't right now." He sounded discouraged, but Bumblebee simply looked on, confused at the odd statement.

The other brother quickly clarified. "You see, we can move super super fast, but…" Jose hesitated for a moment, as if unsure weather he should press on.

Juan finished the statement for him. "…But we have to be touching to do it." Bumblebee blinked for a moment, startled by the revelation. She had never heard of a case like this one, and never before had she met anyone who was co-dependant on somebody else for their powers. It was an unexpected moment, but in the current situation, it made a kind of twisted sense.

"It's like a battery. Just stick in one side or the other, and something won't work." Jose spoke out again, starting a new statement.

"But if both sides are together, they give power. That's kind of like how we work." Juan shrugged and looked at Bumblebee, almost expectantly.

"Can I see you?" Jose asked, sounding unsure. He extended his hand, and from his face he was hoping she would come over so he could get a better look at him.

Bumblebee nodded and flew up a little, taking off from Juan's hand. "Sure. No sweat, kid." She smiled as she flew over, trying to hearten the kids up. This was heavy stuff for a kid to be going through, and she knew she had to keep them occupied until she felt safe enough to enlarge and call for backup. With a quick flash of movement, she alighted upon his outstretched hand, trying her best to smile at his worn face.

His next comment made that smile all of the more genuine. "Are you the tooth fairy?" Jose's weak, meek voice said.

Garth was pacing by the window, unable to stop his worrying. He had expected Bumblebee to have spent a little while out after she left, but his calls had been unanswered for almost three hours. It was enough to drive even the calmest man insane – and he by far wasn't the calmest man in the world. He was in full uniform, worried that the long absence was a good cause for concern. She – they were also wanted by Brother Blood, and he wouldn't find kidnapping beneath his station. In fact, with the number of people he had working for him, having someone else working for him was within his means as well. It was a frightening thought, one that inspired fear in even something as simple as her being gone, or not answering her phone, for a few hours. "Where is she?" He growled to himself, unable to stop the anger he felt from creeping into his voice.

Arthur, who was sitting down and playing video games right at this moment, simply shrugged his shoulders, not taking his eyes off of his game. "She still isn't answering?" He asked tiredly, sounding unimpressed. He was also dressed in his costume, though only because of Garth's instance and he was so laid back about her disappearance that Garth personally wanted to rip him a new one. "You're just over reacting. It's probably nothing. She's probably out shopping for new clothes or something. Besides," He said looking up at the clock on the wall, "she hasn't been gone all that long." He turned his attention back to the game he was playing, and missed the spectacular shade of red that crept onto his face. There were only a few people who had ever pushed him that far, and he hadn't been expecting him to be one of them.

"How can you be so relaxed?" He sounded angry in his own ears, but at this moment, he really didn't care. "Karen could be in trouble, or hurt, and you're just sitting their playing your video games, ignoring everything that I've been warning you about! Are you daft?" His voice had grown steadily louder, until he was almost screaming.

Arthur paused his game and carefully set his controller down, then turned to look at Garth with steady, even eyes. "I heard every word you said." He was cold in his tone, and his face was expressionless, but Garth could tell that he had lost patients with him. "What do you want me to do? Mount an expedition to find her? Where do I look? You may not know this, Garth, but Steel City is big enough that I could spend weeks searching the whole thing and I could still not have searched half the city. I could walk right over or under her head and I wouldn't even know about it." He glared at him with a ferocity that was strengthened by his suppressed anger. "In fact, the only way to know where she is would be for her to call…"

Garth immediately put aside all hostilities as his communicator began to ring, and before the first tone finished, he had pulled it out and flipped it on. Worry replaced all of the expression on his face, and he spoke quickly. "Bumblebee?" He asked, hoping it was her.

He wasn't disappointed. "Aqualad." Her voice was in a no nonsense tone, but he still grinned as he thumbed it over to speakerphone. It was good to hear her voice. It wasn't, however, enough to get her out of a lecture, unless she had a really good excuse.

"Where have you been?" He almost yelled at her, feeling both relieved at her sudden appearance, and furious at having been left waiting for so long. "I've been looking for you for almost four hours!" He hoped that she would at least feel slightly guilty at having left him high and dry for that long.

This time, though, disappointment was waiting for him. She didn't look even the slightest bit guilty, and in fact, looked angry enough to chew on rock. "Aqualad, I don't have much time to explain. I've kind of gotten in over my head right now, and I need you to call Officer Holly Sampson in the twelfth precinct." There were some noises off screen, and then after a moment spent in inattention, she looked back at the screen. "Tell her I need her to get down here ASAP. The same goes for you two." She seemed a little harried at this point, and Aqualad wondered what she was thinking.

"What's going on Bumblebee?" Speedy, who had flipped open his personal communicator and tuned it in to her channel. "You look like death on toast." He sounded almost amused as he spoke, and his tone said that he really didn't take the situation seriously.

"I've managed to find some bank thieves that Officer Sampson was looking for, but there are hostages here." Speedy's look of amusement disappeared as the statement flowed from her mouth, and his eyes lit up with a cold fire. One thing that he never joked around with was a person's life – and hostages were always a delicate situation. Bumblebee's face was grim as she continued. "I've got two of the three with me, but there's at least one girl, about eight I'd guess, who's not here." Her face twisted in disgust for a moment, though Aqualad was unsure why, before settling into a grimace once again. "Get here as soon as you can. I think I'm going to need you. Bumblebee out."

Speedy was off of the couch as soon as she had finished, a fire in his step that moved him faster than any thing that Aqualad had ever said to him. It annoyed him, but he brushed aside that feeling. It wasn't anything personal, so he tried not to let it get to him, yet, in some odd way, it pushed his buttons. It was odd how such a minor thing could annoy him when his nerves were frayed. Even after all of these months, he still had problems with his temper when he was worried about his friends. Speedy, however, was focused on things that were more important. "Let's take my bike. It'll be faster than running." His offer made him want to cringe, but he knew he would accept it. It would be faster, and right now, that was what counted.

"Just a second." He said, grabbing his cell phone. After a moment he dialed a number that he had been given only a few days ago. As he walked to where the bike was kept, he heard a voice pick up on the other line. "Officer Sampson? This is Aqualad. I just got a call form Bumblebee, and she has some rather pointed instructions for us…" His voice had only a trace of humor in it, and he was all business from their on. There was too much at stake to play around.

In his short life, Juan had never before felt this way. At nine years old, he had come to the lowest point in his life, and had felt that all hope was lost. He had stolen money to save the life of a girl, had been beaten for no better reason than to keep him weak, had been fed only off of the scraps of food that had been dragged in to him, and had been demeaned and insulted in ways and forms that still confused him and his brother at times. He had been caged, right next to his brother, without being able to even give him a hug, and had been forced to watch him getting 'punished' as well, which had seemed even more painful to him than any of the beatings that he had ever received. Both boys had been put through the ringer, sustained by their twin only most of the time. Now, however, they had hope once again. The teenaged superhero, Bumblebee, had flown into their cells and had offered them that single glimpse of hope. It was more than anybody had offered them in so long that, even as he felt his chest tighten in anticipation, he found himself afraid once more. Afraid that somehow, she would fail, and he would be left, with his brother, stuck in this inferno that raged around him, that threatened to destroy not only their bodies, but their souls. A shiver raced up his spine as he pulled his arms around himself, too tired to sob, and too nervous to close his eyes. Bumblebee, now at her full size and standing outside their cages, noticed it and spoke to him as she put a cylindrical communicator into her pocket. "It's going to be alright, Juan. I won't let anything happen to you." He was startled by the statement, unable to believe that anybody would go out of their way to protect somebody like him or his brother. It obviously showed, and Bumblebee smiled at his expression and bent down to look him in the eyes. "I promise." The words, so easily said, did more to push away the doubt that had surrounded him than anything else had. Only one person had ever promised him anything, and she had never broken it. He felt, oddly enough, that the very same trust could be placed in her words, and he smiled just a little at her, feeling a warmth in his heart.

"Me too?" Jose's small voice called out softly from behind her, filled with a hope that could be heard from where Juan sat. Bumblebee turned to him, the same love filled smile on her face.

"Yeah, Jose. I promise I'll keep you – both of you – safe. I won't let them hurt you." She grinned at both of the boys, an almost cocky look plastered across her face. "Trust me." Her voice was full of confidence.

A noise, that of a gun being cocked, however, caught everybody's attention, and as Juan and Jose turned, both could see the barrel of a gun placed against the back of Bumblebee's head. A smile was on the blonde man's head that made the hairs on his head stick up in fear. "I don't think that's going to happen." He said, sounding cocky. Bumblebee froze, and for a moment, Juan wondered what was going to happen to them, the little spark of hope he had felt fading into oblivion. It was then that Bumblebee shocked everybody in the room – especially the man with the gun pointed at her head. Faster than Juan would have expected her to move, she kicked backwards, delivering a crushing blow that sent him into – no, through the wall, and into somebody on the other side, getting everybody's attention. Cries of shock and pain called out, screams and yells of anger intermixed into them, ones that made Juan and his twin's blood freeze, but Bumblebee was already moving, bringing up a pair of yellow objects, oddly shaped like the capital letter B, and a moment later she fired beams of yellow energy out through the newly created door, causing screams of shock and pain to come out. A moment later there was the chatter of gunfire, and both Juan and Jose hit the deck, knowing better than to make large targets of themselves. Bumblebee moved quickly as the gunfire blazed, flying up and over the doorway to avoid as much of the firefight as possible. A few moments later the gunfire lulled, and she dropped back down, scything the floor with beams of energy, then flying to the right to avoid the renewed firefight – though there were fewer shots now.

Juan and Jose exchanged looks at this point, both shocked and amazed at the action going on around them. As his eyes looked out again, he noticed the right hand door opening, one of Devon's crew coming in with his gun raised. "Look out!" The words burst from his lips without thought, his fingers pointing out towards the man, even though she couldn't see his hand. The words proved enough to make her move, however, and she flew up into the rafters as the man fired bullets off in rapid succession, driving her away from the door. He grinned as he continued to pump lead into the wood, knowing that there was no way for her to avoid the bullets he was spraying at her. His scream of victory sounded assured, and chilled both boys' blood – but was short lived, as Bumblebee appeared behind him, returning to her original size, and then, as the man began to turn, she drove her elbow into the side of his head, knocking him out with a brutal efficiency. "Oh, wow." Juan murmured, feeling amazed that she could pull off such a powerful blow in with such ease. His eyes were on Bumblebee for a little longer, and he was engrossed in her movements as she tossed the man aside, trying to get back towards the hole in the wall to stop anybody from coming through, but a moment later his attention shifted as the man fell beside him. More appropriately, his attention shifted to the keys that were attached to his belt – the very ones which fit the lock on both of their cages. He froze for a minute, and then crawled closer to the fallen body, almost afraid that the man would wake up when he reached for the keys.

After a moment, he reached out for the keys, moving as fast as he dared while more bolts of energy were rained down by the teenaged superhero. He grabbed the things, but getting them off of his belt loop was out of the question – his arm was as far out as he could get it to go. Instead, he pulled backwards with all of his might, hoping to pull it loose somehow. He yanked the thing back and forth, pulling with all of the strength his small arms could muster, grunting and almost crying. "Come on… Please… You stupid…" He muttered as he pulled – and with one sudden jerk, he found himself propelled to the back of the cage, keys in his hands as his head hit the metal with a thwack. One hand traveled up to his head as he scrambled towards the lock, checking out the new lump that was going to form there, but he was far too eager to escape to notice much of the pain. Instead he focused on his escape, trying out the keys one at a time, trying to remain calm while almost crying with frustration. Juan's eyes shot up, even as he tried his fourth key, and he saw an arrow fly into somebody's head, an arrow that oddly looked like a cross between a lead weight and a nerf arrow. A moment later a deluge of water blew in, followed by a teenage boy in a black leotard and a blue shirt who took two men down in a smooth movement kicking out both legs and catching them both in the jaw. He was so occupied with watching the scene that it took him a moment to realize that the fifth key had slipped into the keyhole, ready to be turned. With a sharp jerk of his head, he turned back to the lock and began to twist with all of his might. He grunted quietly for a minute, hoping that nobody had noticed him yet, and prayed with all of his heart that he could get out of his hellish prison.

The lock popped open after another moment of pressure, slipping off of the cage with ease. He took a moment to get it off, and then with a practiced movement, he pushed the latches to the open position and opened the door, stumbling out into the room without hesitation. He couldn't stop the whimper that escaped his lips, and cursed himself, looking up at where Bumblebee had been only a moment ago, only to watch her fly into the fray, shooting more bolts of energy as she entered the action once more. _At least she didn't hear me._ He thought to himself as he forced his way onto his feet. He felt unstable, but it didn't matter to him. Only one thing did. He looked over to where Jose was held, looking at his weathered face. Ignoring all danger, he ran at his cage, knowing in his heart that everything would be alright if they could reach each other. A moment was all it took, but that moment was one of the longest he had ever been through in his entire life. Finally their hands came together, and an odd, faint, familiar rush of power flowed through his veins, just like his brother. Their eyes met, and for the first time in almost two and a half months, the pair felt safe. With a movement that would be blurred to the human eye, Juan's hand grabbed the other lock and began to vibrate his hand at a speed that should have been impossible. After half a second the metal broke, from both wear and tear, and from sheer friction, tearing away in a burst. Their hands came apart and Juan opened the cage effortlessly, throwing the door wide just in time for Jose to jump at him, throwing his arms around him in as strong a hug as the boy could pull off. Juan's arms went around his brother too, and soon both found themselves laughing in each others arms.

Both pulled apart after a moment, keeping one hand together and turned out to where Bumblebee and her friends had been. They ran through the living room, or what had stood for one, looking at the mess of both people and what could once have been called furniture, and looked for somebody. A moment later they came to a stop on the steps of the house, looking out into the night air at a scene that looked horribly familiar. Devon held the small girl, Alice they had heard her named, with his left arm, his right hand holding the point of a long, sharp knife right next to her heart. He looked grim, as did the two other teenagers beside Bumblebee. One held a bow, string taunt and loaded with an arrow pointed right at the guy's head, while the other stood in a fighting stance, and a hovering Bumblebee had her B shaped weapons pointed at his body. It was a standoff, one that would most likely end badly for Alice, and the twins knew it. Each felt his hand tightening, and felt the added pressure of his brother's tighter grip. Devon's voice rang out to the heroes, and Juan and Jose found themselves outside looking in on a conversation that they must have missed at least a part of. "Forget it, brats. I'm not letting the girl out of my grasp until I'm safe." His scowl was pronounced, a thing of hideous anger that he couldn't control.

The boy with the bow spoke up, and Juan could tell there was a lot of tension in his voice. "Just drop the girl. You hurt her…" He trailed off, his eyes ready to burn him out of existence. His red-blonde hair seemed alive in the night, and he stood at attention, even with his bow at the ready. His suit was red and yellow, with a single crosshair on his right chest. "Just back off." The words came out a vicious snarl, and the twins found themselves cringing back from it. That wasn't the right tone to take with Devon, not if you wanted him to do something.

The thought proved correct as he pushed the blade in just deep enough to draw both blood and a whimper from the girl. The teens seemed to draw in a collective breath, and then froze once more, held in place, yet afraid to move. "Forget it. Drop your weapons." He demanded with a superior arrogance in his tone, staring at each on of them in turn. He pulled the girl tighter against him and screamed as moment went by without complying. "I said drop them!" He looked enraged that he wasn't instantly obeyed.

"Forget it. It'll never happen." The other boy, the one dressed in the blue and black getup, said with derision. His scorn was obvious enough for Juan and Jose to see, and both knew that they were pressing their luck. Devon wasn't known, even by the other gang members, as someone who could control his temper.

"Fine then." Devon's voice became quiet and harsh for a moment, and he stared at them with a hatred in his eyes that seemed unquenchable. "Then watch her die!" He screamed at them, not bothering to hide his contempt as he pulled his knife up, preparing to ram it into the girl's chest. The heroes gasped in unison, but were unable to say anything, frozen and unable to move for the moment.

Juan and Jose then made a decision that would start them on a path that would change their lives forever. They didn't let shock cloud their judgment, and didn't stop to try and figure out what to do. They, with their hands locked together, ran down towards Alice and, with a blurring burst of speed, threw themselves into her, ripping her free from Devon's grasp. They rushed away with her even as he brought his knife down on empty air, and he cried out in shock as he realized she had been stolen from his very grasp. Both the teens and Devon looked over to where Juan and Jose set her down, amazed and shocked at the speed they had shown. The boys, however, now had another desire – revenge. For everything he had done to them – the pain, both physical and mental – they now could give him a taste of his own medicine. Once again they darted into range of his knife, but at a speed that, even in his wildest dreams, he could never hope to match. This time Juan used a move that they had once discussed, and, using momentum built up from their burst of sudden movement, swung his brother upwards, allowing his feet to reach Devon's head, where they collided at nearly eighty miles an hour.

The action was one that no one had expected, and it worked beautifully. Devon literally flew back into a nearby car, his knife flying away from his grasp as he was knocked unconscious by the single blow. They were about to move in to strike once again, but a voice stopped them. "Juan, Jose, STOP!" The tone of command that came from her voice was obeyed instantly, and a moment later she rushed in between them, separating them. Neither brother liked that, but she glared at them with such force that they quailed. Neither wanted to be on the receiving end of such a stare – once again, it reminded them of something from their past.

"Who – Huh?" The archer person said, looking back at the two of them as he moved to secure Devon. Lights flashing in the distance soon became cop lights, and even as the Aqualad secured Alice in his arms, his eyes too were focused on the speedsters. "Who are these two?" His voice was full of confusion, and he spoke with a startled look on his face.

Bumblebee looked at them, smiling this time, even as the cop cars moved in and spoke. "This is Juan." She put her hand on his shoulder, and he felt a burst of pride enter his body as she smiled at her. "And this is Jose." She placed her other hand on his shoulder and he watched his brother's face light up, just as he had. "They've been trapped here for a while, and I think they're hungry." One of the cops, a lady, was close by this time, and she looked startled as Bumblebee gave her a meaningful glance. With a nod she walked over to the boys and knelt down to look them in the eye.

"So, you boys want some McDonalds?" She said, smiling at them. The very mention of the place brought an insatiable appetite to the forefront of Juan's thoughts, and both he had his brother nodded quickly, each having visions of cheeseburgers and fries floating through their heads. "Well then, why don't we get you some?" She gestured for them to take a seat, not in the back, but in the front of her squad car. Both boys rushed in, ignoring all else but the call of food. Still, Juan and Jose looked back as the lady cop got in the car, looking at Bumblebee. Something inside of them made them feel safe around her…

Bumblebee sighed as Officer Holly drove off with the boys. She would give a report to the police on them later – though it might be missing a few pieces of information that was unnecessary. The cops didn't have the right to know everything, and those boys needed protection from anybody else who was sick enough to try and use them like that. Other cops were moving in, securing the crime scene with an unusual efficiency. "Anyways," She said to Aqualad and Speedy as the car drove off, "Those boy's were being forced to do the robberies." After a moment, she realized that neither boy knew what she was talking about, and she started to prepare a quick update. She started to speak, ready to take them up to speed, but found herself distracted by a rather large, bald, fat officer. It took only a moment to place him as Officer Ramoan, a brown nosing, yellow bellied pen pusher, who had a thing against Officer Sampson. _Just great. This is all that I need._ She nearly groaned, but remained tactful. "How are you this evening Off…" She had only started to speak when the man came up just short of her and spat at her feet. For a moment, she almost decked him, but managed to keep her temper in check. Speedy and Aqualad both drew in hissing breaths, but she stopped any reprisals that they might have been preparing by lifting one hand, signaling that she could handle herself.

"Got your dogs on a leash, I see?" He said with an arrogant demeanor, looking disdainfully at her, especially at certain aspects of her body. This time she felt herself stiffen at the remark, and only training in how to control her temper kept her from doing more than seeing red. The other officers nearby seemed nervous and afraid, but Ramoan simply smirked, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was about to be creamed. "You still need them collared, though." He grinned at his own pun, looking down at her.

"Officer Ramoan," She was amazed just how cold her voice was, and how serene she sounded on the outside. She personally wanted to leave him a smear on the wall, but she did have morals, and restrictions. "If you insult either me or my friends again," She pulled one of her stingers up to her face, looking down at it to check its sharpness, "I will remove your ability to create offspring." Those restrictions were very near to being put aside, however. She looked back up at his suddenly uncomfortable face and smiled slightly at him. "Now, is there anything that you need?" She had remained perfectly Civil throughout the whole conversation with him, though it was only through an act of sheer willpower. He was sweating now, and she could tell that he was really wondering if she would carry through with her threat. Of the people around, only Aqualad knew it wasn't a threat – it was a promise.

"Umm… I need a report of what was going on here." He sounded a little more flustered here, for which Bumblebee couldn't blame him. "I mean, what really happened in this mess." He sounded almost afraid now. Had it taken this long to get it through his thick skull?

"I'll send it to the precinct tomorrow. Okay?" She was too tired to submit anything this evening, and she knew that he couldn't refuse, so she turned away from him even as he murmured his consent. "Guys? Let's go home." She began to walk towards the cycle that Speedy had rode out here, and found herself trying to figure out how to explain this whole hair brain scheme to them. She knew it was going to turn into one of those nights even as she started to fly once more, beginning to follow the two of them as they rode home.

"…And that, master, is what happened tonight." His voice was strong as he spoke, even as his body portrayed its weakness by quivering in fear. He was covered almost from head to foot in a dark red robe, not considered worthy to be seen by the man to whom he shared his information. He would put up with it, however, for the amount that the man paid for the information – among other things. In truth, for what he paid, this was only a small portion of what he would do. For what he was paid, he would sell his own mother to his master.

"Most interesting… The bee has come into my web." A voice, as smooth as silk, yet filled with the hatred of a thousand men rippled across the room, hissing into the ears of all present with an almost sublime tone, masking the true evil underneath. The man that was underneath was tall, muscular, and beautiful. He was about six feet six inches tall, with a weight that was undetermined, and had a high profile, one that only added charm and grace to his complexion. He was without a doubt the most perfect looking person that he had ever met, but behind his looks lay an intelligence powerful enough to know everything the world had to offer, from psychology to Robotics and biology, as well as combat training, being a master in at least three different arts. He was one of the most dangerous people in existence, and could be considered an equal, at the least, to the man known as Slade. "This does make things a little more complicated. I will have to distract her for a little bit, before I let her near my honey pot once more…" His voice was filled with anger as he spoke, and it frightened the man. He knew that his master hated her almost as much as he hated the robotic teen, and that spoke volumes.

"Yes master." He spoke again, not daring to look up into his blood red eyes, quietly he wondered if that was how he had gotten his name. Brother Blood. A name meant to inspire fear and anger throughout the Earth. A man who had sworn his revenge, though no one knew why, upon the whole earth, ready to purge the world in a new Armageddon, to bring forth his perfect world anew.

"Go, back to your 'job' now. I will call for you soon. Send in Mendoza and Armando…" He spoke, listing off others he wished to see. Since he was no longer one of them, he left with all possible haste, taking off his robe and passing it to another as he left the room. He sighed, glad to have left alive once more. He did not notice the glowing eyes behind him as he left, and focused only on returning to his job. Soon he would be back in the police desk that was his 'job'.

As the man left, Blood watched him with a slow, patient eye. He wasn't sure about him, but he had served without question, and was but a simple peon. No one had yet to earn his trust in this place, but the man had come fairly close. However, he put that thought aside. It was a thought for later. Within the throne room, five people lay prostrate beneath a small, plain chair. It was not the chair, or the money that they worshiped, but the power that lay within it, and within the man. They feared and adored him, and would willingly do his bidding. _Perfect…_ He thought to himself. "Welcome my brethren. I have a task for you of the utmost importance…" He would have to move, and change many people, but that was to be expected. Besides, in his mind, only one life mattered – his own. And on the chess board of life, he was the king of kings, the undefeated champion of his own domain.

NEXT CHAPTER: The team begins to form, but it's not going to be easy – or safe, for that matter…


	3. Marked Targets

Authors Note: Yay! Chapter Three is up. Thanks to my readers, who have been encouraging me. This is going to be something of a cross roads chapter, not quite as fast paced as the others, but hopefully just as good.

(Pause)

_Newscaster: Today marks a turning point in Steel City's fight against crime. However, it may not be for the better. A report coming out today shows that crime has reached epic proportions in all areas of the city, and police are being constantly stymied in their efforts to clean up this city. More on this after a moment. (Start song – Kansas –Carry on my Wayward Son)_

(Pause)

**Marked Targets**

The Watchtower was the most advanced machine near the planet earth. It held weapons and shielding greater than any single country, missing only Nuclear weapons to complete its arsenal. The other amenities that lay on it's polished exterior were each enough to give any single person money for life should they ever get the chance to sell it. It was a bastion of good, and a place of both learning, and safety. It was the headquarters of the world's greatest superheroes, the Justice League of America. It was staffed by the greatest heroes, who spent their many spare hours helping others, no matter where they lie. The greatest of these, many of whom were household names among the people of earth, often came together to discuss the problems that plagued the world.

Superman, the unnamed head of the league, was one of the eight in attendance at this particular meeting. As he put his thoughts in order, his eyes swept out over the group of people he considered more than friends, his family. His eyes came to rest first and foremost on Batman, the caped-crusader, always wearing a black cape and suit, who had spent so many years of his life in search of vengeance. He had fought both beside him and against him, but despite his taciturn nature, there was no one he trusted, or respected, more. He was also the devil's advocate in most conversations, putting most of Superman's more fanciful notions to rest with ease. It was rare that they agreed on any subject – yet, the subject of tonight's meeting would be, in essence, his brain child, one that was winning ravish praise from those who were benefiting from it. It was also the one place he was the most hard nosed when it came to changes – his protégé was the nominated leader, and showed potential beyond his years, and Batman, though he would never say it aloud, fought to protect him.

Flash, however, was the first to speak. "Why are we all just sitting here? Let's go, let's go." He was fidgeting nervously, barely able to stay still even while he was at rest. He was currently the 'Fastest man on earth', able to break the sound barrier ad keep going faster still. He could vibrate fast enough to run through a wall, could read books at a pace of a book a minute, and was as impatient as he was fast. He wore a red outfit, with a single lightning bolt streaking through a circle of white on his chest. "I've got a couple of things I need to do." He looked board – though, he couldn't blame him. Flash lived life at super speed almost twenty four seven.

Wonder Woman, one of the few female superheroes in the league, rolled her eyes at that comment, having known Flash for many years. "Are you sure you don't need to go to the bathroom before we start?" Her voice sweetly rang out across the table, drawing laughter from many. She was dressed in what some would consider scanty clothing, but none of them would ever say anything of the sort to her. As one of the founding members of the League, she had prerogative over almost every other hero at the table, and she wasn't afraid to use her authority. Golden bracelets encircled her wrists, and a golden lasso encircled upon itself lay at her side. "We wouldn't want an accident, now would we?" Her voice rang out, glazing over the sarcasm.

Laughter at the table was not joined in by the Martin. A green man with no patients for humor, he was often called a man of stone, or of ice. Funny, considering he could turn into stone if he had to. "I believe we should begin our meeting." His voice was even and level, and betrayed none of the annoyance he might have felt.

"I agree." Another voice joined in, that of the man known as Green Arrow. A vigilante who had recently joined the league, he was not a regular at the table, and was not totally comfortable with his position. He, much as Batman, was normal when it came to super powers, and relied only on his wits alone. He personally believed that too many of those with powers relied on them too heavily, not on their intellect or other attributes. "I'd like to know why you guys asked me here." He fondly rubbed his bow as he sat, nervous despite his status as a member.

Their was a nod from the last member of the group – Aquaman, the king of Atlantis. He was stately in his appearance, from his long golden hair to his aqua blue eyes, and he sat with a poise that could make even Superman envious. He was toned and muscled, built from his many hours spent undersea, but had spent a fair amount of time in the Watchtower recently, despite any complaints it might have caused.

Superman nodded, and stood, prompting, if not silence, then at least a sense of quiet. "All right, everyone, let's get down to business." He pushed a button on a small device he had put in his palm, and the room darkened, almost pitch black, and a large screen turned on. On the monitor, A group of oddly assorted teens stood, each unique in their own way. First and foremost stood a well built, if slight, teenage boy, wearing a stylized suit, red green and yellow, with the letter 'R' stitched across his heart. The next was a Young woman with fiery red hair and hazelnut skin, her eyes and hands burning a bright green as she hovered above the ground. After her, another girl stood, cloaked in a cloak that was almost black. Beside her, a green teen boy, with pointed ears and a slightly cocky look across his face, stood grinning wildly. Finally a Large, African American young man stood, half his body fitted with cybernetic parts, stood, his right arm converted into a cannon of some sort. They stood overlooking a tower shaped like a 'T' that stood on an island slightly away from the nearby city. At once, almost everybody knew what the topic of the evening's discussion would be about. "First off, I'd like to thank Batman for coming up with this idea to begin with. The 'Teen Titans', as they've decided they should be called, have helped clean up one of the toughest cities in America."

"For those of you who aren't familiar with the Titans," He continued in a firm manner, "Let me give you a run down. Robin," he pointed to the first, "Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg are all teenagers, and about a year ago, they met for the first time. About a month later, they came to Batman and asked both his blessing, and his help, in starting up a new organization. It would be one that would base themselves out of Jump City, and would be there to support each other." Superman turned slightly and grinned at Batman. "That was when the idea was first brought up. Surprisingly, this new team, the Titans, have drastically reduced the crime rate in the city, and they've managed not to kill each other. From what Flash told me, that in and of itself is a miracle. With the help of Wayne enterprises, we built the Titan tower, and it's been a symbol that has most citizens of Jump City feeling safer than ever before."

"They've handled super villains and ordinary criminals, with the police feeling like they're kept in the loop. In fact, the City is, in some ways, doing better than any other City we as a whole are covering." He shrugged at the comment, looking out over some faces that were doubtful. "Tonight, however, we've come up with another idea, one that I think needs to be voted on." A second click on his little device brought up another scene – Steel City. "This is Steel City. Crime here is at a nationwide high, and the police are both swamped and corrupt. Truthfully, none of us have the resources necessary to cover such an area, and we're hard pressed as is. Recently, however, we," He said, pointing his hand at Batman, "Were given an idea by the leader of the Titans, Robin. He had come up with a new idea, and I personally feel it is a very, very good one." Superman stopped and signaled for Batman to continue for him, seating himself in his usual chair.

Batman stood with a flowing grace, and once again the scene changed. This one got the attention of both Aquaman and Green Arrow – it had their protégé's in it. All were charging into battle, and some photographer had gotten a snapshot of them. With a quiet fervor, Batman began to speak. "Bumblebee, the girl with the wings, Speedy, the boy with the bow, and Aqualad, the boy in the spandex," At that their was a few laughs, though Aquaman glared at them, "All of these teenagers are right now living in Steel City. Currently they're looking for the super villain Brother Blood, but once that's done, what then?" He smiled, though it held no warmth. "Robin, almost a week ago, came to me and told me of his little idea. Quite bold, I think, and more than likely to succeed. To put it bluntly, Robin, as well as the rest of his team, believe that a second team of titans, or 'Titans East' group should be formed." That got the attention of everybody in the room, and murmuring soon began to escalate. Without stopping to ask for silence, Batman continued on, overriding any voices that chose to speak. "It was discussed by Superman and I, and we both agree that the idea has merit. So," His smile reappeared for another moment, "We've brought this matter to your attention, for discussion. Are their any questions?"

"Who would lead this new team?" Flash spoke before anybody else, earning him a few glares, most heatedly from Aquaman and the Green Arrow. "I mean, have they even been asked if they want to do this? Robin was nominated by a team vote, and that team simply fell into place. We'd be trying to force a team together, one that may only last as long as we keep them in sight. Shouldn't we ask rather than tell?" He shrugged his shoulders, not fidgeting any more. His attention was grabbed, and he had no plans to let it slip any time soon.

Superman stood to take that particular question. "We're not talking about forcing them into this, Flash. We want to ask them to try this out, and if it works, we'll have another team of Titans in training." He spoke calmly, referring to the fact that the first team had often been called the 'Justice League Academy' by some news agencies. "As for leadership, Robin suggested Speedy, Beast Boy suggested Aqualad, and Cyborg suggested Bumblebee. So as for leadership, we're not entirely sure either." He shrugged. "Right now, we are making this up on the fly."

"So it's just going to be these three?" Wonder Woman said, her face focused. "Isn't that a little slim?" She ignored the glare that Aquaman gave her, knowing that she had wounded his fatherly pride in his protégé.

"We do have a couple of other people we're planning to suggest to them." Batman spoke up, taking charge again. "Hot Spot and Wilderbeast are both possibilities, though they'd need to be asked as well. Right now, I can't think of any problems that they might have with joining a team like this."

Finally one of the two father figures was able to ask a question. "Ahem." Green Arrow burst in, catching attention. "Who is this Brother Blood, and what exactly has Speedy managed to get himself into?" He noticed a few pointed stares in his direction, but didn't back down. If Speedy was in over his head, Green Arrow would be going their just to chew him out. They might have only recently separated, but he wouldn't ever let the boy he had raised up get too deep into trouble. Old habits died hard.

There were a few pointed stares going around the table, and after a minute, Superman spoke again. "I guess you two are going to need a better explanation…"

(Pause)

A single shaft took Speedy almost fifteen minutes to make and slide into its head. Each of his arrows was different, and each was quietly unique. He spent a good portion of his day making about twenty shafts, and he could double it if necessary. He was meticulous in his obsession, and he produced, and used, only the best of the best. His life had become dedicated to fighting crime, and he was good at what he did. Which, he had to admit, was why his two new counterparts made him feel so crazy at times. They just didn't seem to understand that he needed time to make his arrows in peace. Peace, sadly, which was the last thing that he was able to get when they were around.

Karen was much as the name she had chosen for her guise – a bumblebee, flighty and always moving or working. The only moments she wasn't doing something was when she ate or slept, and at times he wondered if she even did that. Her energy was both engaging and exhausting, and it made the whole house feel alive. It was something that hadn't happened for years, and while a piece of him felt she was hoarding all of his spare time, he truthfully had enjoyed himself far more since her entering the household. She seemed to make everything more vibrant, and her flaring temper added color to his life.

Garth was far more subdued, choosing to simply focus on things of a less disturbing nature, and keeping more secluded from both him and Karen. He tended to be quiet enough, but he had his own issues that didn't quite sit with him. His antagonism against eating fish, his mini crusades against crimes of nature, and his love of water still managed to be confusing. He practically was a vegetarian, and had become livid when he had gotten a couple of pieces of fried fish. He had ignored his roaring protests, and Garth had stormed out into the night, coming back in the morning, still cranky. Arthur had never really figured that one out, but he had decided not to eat any more fish – at least, not in fish boy's presence. He was trying to keep peace in the house, and starting a fight in his own house was out of the question. His insurance was high enough as it was.

_Speak of the devil…_ The thought had barely crossed his mind when Garth showed his face once more, his expression tired, but far less petulant than the previous evening. He was disheveled and scruffy, but that was nothing new for someone who had woken up at five in the evening. "Good morning, sleepyhead. Catch enough beauty sleep?" Arthur's voice was filled with sarcasm as he refocused his attention on his current arrow. He simply could not afford to lose focus at this phase of the operation.

Garth was probably going to say something else, but another voice chimed in before he could, making her presence known. "I don't think he can ever get enough of it to catch up to you." Her voice was filled with a jibbing humor, one that often stood their. Arthur had come to realize that it was both a challenge from her, one that she felt had to be won, and a protective measure, to try and keep people far enough away as to prevent an eventual pain. That, of course, led to one of two conclusions: either she didn't want to hurt anybody, or she didn't want anybody to hurt her. From the feelings he had picked up, he was fairly certain that it was the latter. "Then again, if he put a little more time into a somewhat more constructive action, instead of running off at night, maybe we could change that into an organized search." Karen was obviously going for a rise out of Garth, something that didn't come easy from the calm, collected teen.

He ignored both of their comments, much to Arthur's surprise, and simply made his way to the bathroom, turning on the shower and starting to hum loud enough for both of them to hear. "Spoilsport." Karen's word sounded both sulky and petulant, but that didn't last long. Instead, it became somewhat challenging, as she homed in on a new target. "So, what about you? Up to getting your butt kicked in a quick game of chess?" Arthur could hear her grinning from where he sat, trying desperately to keep himself focused on his arrow work.

He shook his head slightly, signaling his lack of desire to do anything besides what he was doing as he spoke. "No, I'm good." His voice was almost brooding, but held no malice. He tried not to let himself be drawn into a conversation – he knew that it would end up stopping him cold for at least an hour. And he was behind from last week alone, to say nothing about his slowly dropping totals. He refused to use anything else besides his own personally hand carved shafts, and with his use at almost a dozen a day, he often found he was coming closer and closer to needing to dip into his reserves. "Thanks for asking though." He still tried to remain polite, trying not to give her an opening.

It soon became apparent that she had seen one anyways as she continued to press the question. "What, not interested in loosing another game? I'd be willing to let you win if you were a good boy." She said sweetly, moving in closer – he noticed mainly because she blocked the light and obstructed his view of the shaft he was working on. "Come on, it'll be tons of fun!" She was trying to sound persuasive, but her dogged persistence was what was really wearing him down. "I mean, you can make arrows any time. What's the harm in a little fun now and again?" She did her best to sound innocent as she spoke, and it was hard for Arthur not to snort – he doubted she had ever been the innocent type, and likely she had driven her mother off the deep end with her constant nattering.

Not that he would ever say that out loud. She was imbued with strength that was unnatural, and her ability to shrink down and hide meant it would never be safe to really speak freely about her anywhere. Instead, he let his attention turn back to her, looking up to see her face. Her face was pulled into an obscenely empty look, having all the charm of a live snake to him. Not as if it wasn't pretty, but he recognized a put on when he saw it. "Karen…" He started, sounding tired even to himself. A moment later, he stopped and sighed, shaking his head slightly. _Are you going to become your mentor? Or are you going to live, like you claimed you would?_ The thought flowed through his mind in an instant, and a few instant flashes of memory blew through his mind. He looked back up at her chocolate face and smiled an actual genuine smile. "Can I be white?" His voice had changed in timber as well.

"Sure, Arthur." She smiled too, this time a true smile, not the vapid expression of a moment ago, and gestured over to the small chess table he owned. He tossed the quiver on the couch – he didn't have the heart to deal with it today anyways – and walked over, sitting opposite Karen. It took only a moment to position the pieces, and then the game began. He moved a pawn, and then watched as she responded in kind. Soon their pieces had moved further towards the middle of the board, and a confrontation was brewing.

"So Karen, what really happened at the H.I.V.E. Academy?" His voice wasn't all that strong, and it was neutral, but he didn't bother looking up at her as he considered his next move. He knew better than to push with her – if she was going to give up any information, it would be her decision to share it. He moved a pawn into a more defensive position after a moment of contemplation, and then specified his question. "I mean, what was it like their?" He looked at her slightly, and noticed the uneasy look on her face.

After a moment she started to slowly speak. "It was…" She looked down and frowned, then moved a bishop out into the open, leaving it defended by a rook. "It was the darkest place I've ever been to." She sighed, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. "Their were so many different things happening their. A school dedicated totally to the training of villains, and it was almost as bad as some prisons I've been to. They had some people who shouldn't have been their – Gizmo, for example, he was just too young for any form of 'Training', especially the kind they had there. Even if he had the I.Q. of Albert Einstein, no eleven year old kid needs to be around so much evil." She looked down at Arthur, and he was amazed at how worn looking his eyes were. Their seemed to be years of age in her eyes that he had never seen before. "And some of them were just there because they don't have anywhere else to go. Then there was the training – special classes for everybody where they taught you how to fight, how to be a criminal, from lock picking to fighting against other super powered people. Of course, everyone that was there was just one more piece of a giant puzzle." Her smile picked up a bitter twist as she grabbed one of the pawns she had captured earlier and tossed it into the air. "Just another pawn to be used in a grand game." She set the piece down beside the board once more and looked to Arthur, waiting for him to take the next move.

He moved his Queen out for the first time, moving into a better striking position, but his attention was elsewhere now. "A pawn on Brother Blood's chess board." He said out loud, mainly to himself. Karen looked pensive but didn't say anything. Blood was a sensitive topic, though Arthur didn't know quite why. However, he had long since decided that he wouldn't leave the question unasked – it was just too important to simply let go. "What's he like anyways?" His voice was inquisitive, but his eyes were locked on her face.

The emotions that flitted across her face moved too fast to be defined. Her eyes flashed, and for a moment, he thought she was going to say something to him, something brutal. However, the fire in her eyes seemed to dim after the brief flash, and her face changed to a more withdrawn, wearier appearance. "He was the most brilliant man I've ever met – bar none. He could look at any problem, weather engineering, bio-organic, or mathematical and pull it apart, solving it in an instant. His voice was almost hypnotic, easy to listen to, soothing and calm. He was a pillar of strength – only he was filled with the most corrupt filth you could ever imagine." Her voice changed to something more brutal, her anger and hatred coming through whatever emotional guards she had put up. The look on her face had changed too, and her attention was a long ways away from the chess board, focused instead on a time far distant. "He enjoyed –Enjoyed! – hurting people. He likes to hear the screams of the people he hurt, and usually recorded his sessions with any students he had sent in for disciplinary actions. He liked to hurt people just to make them 'better', he says, and he is as cruel with his mental processes as he is with his fists, feet, or any other part of his body. He believes he is the only person able to create a perfect world – and, of course, he is the only one worthy of ruling this so called utopia." She stopped, looking down for a minute and shuddering. "The things he liked to do… there were other things, but I don't think I need to get into that. And his eyes… They're still something that I don't like to remember." She stopped and stared at her hands, unable to continue. Quietly, to himself, Arthur wondered how he had managed to get Karen to open up so much.

Both of them jumped as the bathroom door slammed open, a fully dressed Garth walking out into the living room. He seemed a little peeved, though Arthur didn't know why. _I wonder if it has something to do with the fish tacos?_ The thought flittered through his mind, even as Garth spoke. "Arthur, Karen, I'm going to go ahead and head out. I'll see you later this evening, okay?" He looked towards them, his black eyes giving Arthur the desire to shiver.

"Okay by me." Karen got her reply in first, shrugging her shoulders as she moved out one of her bishops. "We'll probably head out after this game, so don't get too far." She looked down at the board again and frowned, her attention, and heart, back in the game once more.

"Yeah, fine." Arthur smiled and turned back to the game himself, watching out of the corner of his eye as Garth left. He let his attention slip for a moment then moved a Knight out. As soon as he let go of the piece, however, he regretted the movement. He knew he had just put a piece out in a position that was unguarded, and he was about to loose it. He was not disappointed, as one of her pawns was moved, sweeping the knight away. He watched as she sighed, her attention away from the board once again, and he found himself a little more sure this time as he tried to figure out what bothered her. "Still worried about Juan and Jose?" He asked, his voice inquiring. The twins had been on everybody's mind recently, their child like antics and crazy stunts more like regular ten year old kids that they should have been.

Almost four days ago, Officer Sampson had called them with the news that the troublesome twins had disappeared, after a social worker had tried to split them up into different homes. Neither would ever agree to it, and told her so. When they had tried to enforce their ideas on the boys, they had grabbed each others hand and taken off at mach speed. No sight had been since that time, and Karen had found herself worried about the two, who had attached themselves to her whenever she had come by. She had found herself oddly attached to them as well – and, he had to admit, he liked the kids too. Hence, it was no surprise that all three of the teens had found their thoughts occupied by a pair of kids who had made them smile with their antics. _It's always good to remember who you're fighting for._

Her face became softer, and she spoke softly as well. "Yeah, I am. I can't help it – I just think about them getting into another situation like that…" She trailed off, unsure of how to continue, and Arthur nodded his head. It had been one of those weeks, and they had been fairly busy – minor criminals, bank robbers, and the occasional madman with a weapon – and they would likely be busy again tonight once more.

She moved, though it was well guarded still, but a plan began to develop within Arthur's head. _Maybe I can still win…_

(ZZZ… err, Pause)

Mendoza found his new partner, Armando, disgusting in every way possible. The man had no style, no flair, and most importantly, no personal hygiene. The stench that emanated from him, and most of his gang as well, was one of stale beer, smoke, and other assorted odors that seemed to cling to the very surface of their beings. Had it not been for the treaties both had formed with Brother Blood, ceasing all hostilities, this would have likely become one of the largest gang wars ever to be seen on the streets of Steel City. Bad blood was on both sides of the line, and the two groups, armed to the teeth, knew that a single itchy trigger finger could still start a bloodbath for either side. However, to try and prevent such hostilities, the leaders of both gangs, Armando and Mendoza both, had met together in the middle of the room. _It's the only way that you'll ever get me this close to him again – with the threat of deadly force. _His thoughts were angry and burning as he tried his best not to breathe in. "You know what you're supposed to be doing, right?" He tried not to sound as he felt, and hoped the stupidity that he saw in the man would help dull any insult some might have felt. Now was not the time to get into a fight, not with three teenaged superheroes less than three blocks distant.

"I'll get my end of the job done. You just worry about yourself." His smile had little sincerity in it, and he grabbed a chain as if to emphasize his point. Mendoza only shook his head, knowing that the man before him was certain he could stop a teenage superhero without resorting to guns to try and finish things. He, on the other hand, had outfitted his gang with weaponry to the teeth, bullets enough to riddle the house well enough that a termite wouldn't be able to sink his teeth into it. And just in case, he had brought the two other teens who remained in the building a little drink. He called it overkill, but a little piece of C-4, he was certain, would kill everybody – well, if they were still alive, at that point. Personally, he was fairly certain that by the morning, he wouldn't need to worry about his smelly 'friend' here.

With a flourishing bow, just to instill his distaste of the man just that much greater, he spoke to him for the last time. "Well then, I think me and my men need to be getting to work then." He turned away, and almost immediately Armando did the same, his loud, raucous voice echoing in the alley they stood in. His large group of men – at least three times the size of his force, the only reason he had never made a move up against him in the first place – quickly began to filter away into the night, moving like the wind. They had set up a spot to meet this so called Aqualad, and it would likely be quite a party. Knowing that he was going to be up against two teenaged super powered freaks, he had decided on a wiser approach. Instead of simply rushing in, to be easily taken care of, he had chosen to bombard the house, first in a storm of lead, then in a raging fire. He was almost certain that it would be enough, and if it wasn't… well, he would cross that bridge, and burn it, when it came.

(Space... the final frontier…)

Garth held little love of the paved streets and alleyways of Steel City. Yes, they were well laid out and placed, and yes, the city took plenty of time to keep their roads preserved and pristine. It was the people, however, that put such a foul taste into his mouth. Their were bundles that simply sat their, sheltered by newspaper alone, too broken to try again, the druggies, breathing with added stress, ready to kill for their next high, and – worst of all – the children who were used and discarded, sitting listlessly while life surrounded them, uncaring. It was a sight to sear the soul, one that was forever imprinted upon his mind, wherever he went. It made him as angry as Drug dealers made Karen – though he controlled it far better. She was just a little too jumpy most of the time.

_If this were Atlantis, _He thought to himself moodily, _the moment Aquaman saw any of this, he'd fix the situation. Children on the street! What worse can you do to destroy a people?_ His thoughts held a bitter tone, a piece of his childhood that had been engrained into his very core. Life in Atlantis had given him an outlook upon the world that had stunned Karen, and left her in the air trying to explain the differences between them. Not that it had helped him understand any better. _The surface people can be so… cruel._ He shook his head and sighed, feeling all the more ready to head to the ocean for a quick dip. He looked up, and found his eyebrow going up slightly._ Okay, this is going to be one of those days, isn't it?_

At the head of the alley a group of six large, burly men stood, an extremely fat man in the lead. Each held a weapon of some sort, from a chain to a pipe, and even a broke beer bottle. They stood grinning in front of him, and they looked to be in the state of mind that he had previously referred to – high. They were bleary eyed and one of the group was stumbling, slight chuckles emanating from him. _You've got to be kidding me. Only six? I've had better fights in bars._ It was a thought that, if nothing else, was true. He started to walk forward, but stopped and looked behind him as a noise caught his attention. _Okay, maybe this gang isn't as stupid as it looks._ Their were six more gang members behind him, each glaring at the other, trying to figure out who had caused the noise, still moving forward despite the fact that their cover was blown. They moved with much more caution, and as he looked forward, the group in front formed up into a much more trained group. It took only a moment to realize that they had been pretending to be incapacitated, and only a moment more before Aqualad made his move.

With a practiced thought, Aqualad slid into an almost meditative state, reaching out to the water that flowed around him. He hadn't realized this skill until after he had come to the surface world, but since that time, he had discovered the power to move water with just a thought. He did that, sending a wave of water that came rushing out of no where, and washed four of the people in front of him to the left. One of the group managed to hold his ground, catching a hold of the wall, and as the water stopped he looked up growling. It turned into a yelp a moment later, as Aqualad rushed forward, faster than the man had believed possible, and punched him in the face, sending him back almost three feet, leaving him in a crumpled heap. He spun around as the other six rushed up behind him, his right leg extending at the same time, and kicked one of the six in the chest, putting him out of the fight, if only for a moment. Then he was swarmed, and found himself on the defensive, his hands darting up and down, trying to cover every opening. He kicked off of another fighter and flipped backwards, looking out over the small parking lot he had moved into. Five of the original group were standing once more, ready to go on the offensive, and from the corner of his eye, he could see more people joining the ranks, obviously part of a well orchestrated plan. After a quick thought, he jumped away from the gang members who were still trying to get a lick in and made a run for a nearby fire escape. He jumped to the ladder, using a car to add the extra inches he would have normally missed, and swung himself up onto the ladder, climbing it with an able hand. Moments later he stood on a small platform, smirking down at the gang bangers below him. "Giving up already?" He gloated, trying to goad them into action.

They yelled rather obscene language at him as they began to move up the ladder as well, and he stood his ground, knowing that they would only be able to attack him one at a time at this point – a fight they could never win. As the first one climbed up to his level he struck out, catching him off guard, and in the chest. He flew back slightly and he grabbed him and threw him to the other side of the grated platform. "Stop!" A voice rang out over the gathered crowd, and most of the gang members came to a halt, all save one who was almost up on the causeway. Aqualad kicked him once in the head, sending him down into a heap, and then spun to face the indecisive horde. He looked down at the man who had spoke, a man who was both wide and statuesque, dripping from the blast of water that had soaked him a minute ago. He was surprised as the man grinned up at him, but he didn't show it. At least, he did not until the man spoke. "We can wait him out. It's not like our friends are sitting in a death trap." His voice had the sickly sweet tone of mocking, but the real shock was the glare that came from his eyes.

Often, people didn't have the nerve to look him in the eye. It was a side effect of having eyes that were white, surrounded by a sea of darkness. Most people couldn't, or wouldn't, look at his eyes, and it was something that had always made him respect those who could, at least most of the time. The man standing before him, however, was looking him straight in the eye, without the slightest bit of fear or doubt, and at that moment, he realized something. _He's not lying._ The thought struck him like a physical blow and he was almost certain that the man before him could see it as well. His grin widened as Aqualad's eyes grew wide once more shock catching him off guard once more.

The shock moved into his eyes as Aqualad's arms shot forward, sending a wave of water spraying across the lot. Everyone was both distracted and blinded by the oncoming fluid, leaving not a single soul to notice him as he leapt down, his body taunt and controlled. He landed on his feet and lashed out with his fist, striking with the speed of a cobra, landing a crushing blow on one person's jaw. He wasn't sure if it broke bone, but he was too engrossed with his thoughts – and fears – to notice. _Idiot! Of course they would set up both attacks simultaneously! Speedy and Bumblebee are probably in over their heads, and you're out here playing around!_ He dropped down into a crouch and lashed out with his right foot, spinning around and catching a group, sending all but one of them to the ground. He grabbed the last one as he started to fall, and with a strength that belayed his size, he threw the man into another group of people, wading out into the thick of things without a care for himself. He had to finish this – and fast. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that they needed him.

(Hey, Macarena.)

Arthur couldn't believe his luck, having lost yet another game, if closely, to Karen. She had proven a far more devious than he had thought she would be, and had underestimated her at the last moment. However, he had moved off into the kitchen after the game and began a little clean up, getting ready to head out into the night. He couldn't leave the house a pigsty, and cleaning was something that he did whenever he had a spare moment. "So Karen," He said, calling out across the rooms, "Where do you plan on going tonight? Anywhere special in mind?" his voice was softer than usual, some what subdued by his recent loss, but he wasn't simply cringing whenever he heard her speak. _Not yet, at least – or ever, if I have anything to say about it._ He thought quietly as she started to speak back.

"I really didn't have anything planned. I was just going to hoof it." She sounded nonchalant, as she did much of the time when she wasn't in her 'hero mode' as he liked to call it. Oddly, he wasn't quite sure which side of her showed more of her real personality – the frigidly serious, dedicated side, or the energetic, almost playful side. Both seemed to have their pros and cons, but he had yet to figure the two apart. It almost seemed like she was Bipolar- which, of course, he knew she wasn't. She just was missing a few of the symptoms, though she did have the duality issues going on it seemed. At least, from his perspective, she did. Her voice was still just as self assured as she continued talking, walking right over his thoughts. "What about you? Anywhere you want to go to tonight?" Her voice was smooth and calm, and she sounded content – a rare occurrence. "Any particular hot spot you'd like to visit? Or patrol, for that matter? We can't spend all of our time searching for Blood." She was walking, he could hear it. The sound her boots made was distinguishable, and her gait was so determined and pronounced that no one could confuse it with anybody else.

Arthur grabbed a quiver he had set aside earlier, spinning it around onto his back with a quick, practiced motion, then drew out one arrow to inspect it. He stared down the shaft and made sure that their were no blemishes or warping occurring, then started to look at the head of the arrow. "Well, there are a few places that come to mind." He spun the arrow around his finger like a baton, checking its weight and balance, and then with a practiced flick, slid the thing back into his quiver. "The watering hole down on Viridian Street is one place that usually has information around, if we find it's less… reputable members." He felt a grimace twist over his face, but didn't say anything out loud. It wasn't something he liked to do – pump drunks for information – but every other lead had dried up at this point. In fact he was beginning to wonder if Karen's leads had been incorrect – a false trail of sorts. If that was true, then they had spent far too long helping him – even if he had needed, and still needed, their help.

The sound of Karen's footfalls stopped for a moment, then began to return up the hall, obviously having retrieved her weaponry, the 'B' shaped 'stingers' that were so dangerous and destructive. "Sure, let's try that out. Truthfully, I'm kind of out of ideas. I mean, we haven't heard a peep out of Blood for so long that I'm starting to wonder if he just quietly slipped away this time." Worry was tinged in her voice as she moved closer, lessening the volume of her speaking as she walked to the living room. He felt a frown forming on his face, realizing that she had likely been having the same thoughts he had been thinking about. If that was true, it was possible that she would be talking to him soon about 'moving on'. It left somewhat of a sour taste in his mouth, but he stayed quiet for the moment. He had no desire to start anything with the two of them right now, especially when his current position on the matter was so tenuous.

He shrugged to himself and put his attention to the fletching around the base of the arrows. He checked to see if any was peeling or if the fletching was askew. His attention, however, was soon picked up by a car driving into his driveway – without any lights off. _Strange…_ The thought went through his head even as alarms started to silently go off in his head. He frowned and looked out, his eyes narrowed to a thin line. Something just wasn't right, though he couldn't put his finger on it. "It's a date, then." His voice rang out with a humor he didn't feel, and he ignored her following groan. "Hey, Bumblebee…" He called out, his voice hesitant, and his use of her Hero name calling attention to the fact that he felt something wasn't quite right.

That was when the first gunshots rang out.

Speedy was down on his knees as soon as the first flash caught his eyes, his hands darting to his bow and arrow with a natural grace. He pulled two arrows out of the woodwork – special ones that were stashed throughout his house. The red tips denoted that they were for use in this type of emergency - a surprise attack on the house. It was only a moment later, when he heard a body hit the floor, that another thought struck his mind, one that chilled his blood. "BUMBLEBEE!" His voice was strong enough to rise over the din of repeated gunfire, and the sound of splintering wood and breaking glass was enough to set his teeth on edge. As the chaos seemed to slow for a moment, he stood up and took a shot, sending a pair of arrows out into the surrounding crowd. Both burst into flame, and he saw, even as he threw himself into a roll that moved him closer to the living room, a line of gang members, almost all armed with guns, surrounding the house for as far as the eye could see._ We're in trouble._ The thought flickered through his mind as the sound of weapons fire started up once more in earnest. He crawled down the hall, not daring to get to his feet, until he reached the living room.

It was a mess unlike any that the house had ever seen before. Wood, plaster, dry wall, and glass was scattered every direction, covering both the floor and the surrounding furniture. Most of the furniture had been damaged by stray bullets, ripped apart carelessly and willfully by the band members that stood around the house. As the gunfire came to a hesitant stop, with orders being shouted outside loudly, he saw Bumblebee, her body limp, and blood smeared on her head. Without a thought for his own health, he scrambled over to her, grabbing her and putting his hands over the bleeding. It took a moment, but he felt relief when he realized that it was only a scratch on her head – a grazed bullet, more than likely, had put her out of commission. He made sure she was breathing, and then looked up apprehensively, knowing that it wasn't over. He started to pick her up when the attack moved into its second phase – as a ball of burning gasoline flew through a window and began to ignite the surrounding area. It was the first of many, and soon the house was ablaze, filled with the heat of perdition, and smoke enough to make Speedy cough.

He knew almost at once that the house was lost. Without hesitating for an instant, he began to drag Bumblebee's lifeless body towards the garage. Once inside, he set her down quickly and gently, then rushed over to where his tool set was and threw it aside, revealing a trap door. Moving as fast as he could, and knowing that every second counted, he pulled it open, letting the stale, unused air rush out into the burning blaze that had been his house. A moment later he was dragging Bumblebee inside, closing the hole behind him with the press of a button, one that shut it with a solid steel plate. Six inches thick, and reinforced with Kevlar and other materials, it would hold against almost anything that could be thrown at it. A second button turned on a separate air supply, and a moment later he was breathing freely – if not in his mind, than at least physically. He clambered into his personal bunker, where his largest supply of arrows had been stashed, and prayed that the air conditioning would be enough to keep them from being baked alive.

(Pray for mercy…)

Another grunt took a dive, even as the leader of the so-called gang began to attempt a hasty retreat, trying to escape from a situation gone wrong. Aqualad had shown no mercy when the discovery of his friends' imminent danger became apparent, and only two others remained conscious, both of whom had stayed out of the fight earlier. However, that didn't save them from injury, as Aqualad stormed through like a bolt from the heavens. He grabbed one mans fist as it swung towards him, spun him around, and kicked him in the seat of his pants, sending him sprawling head first into the road. The other launched a spinning kick at him, but he had been trained far too well to even let such a trick phase him. Crouching slightly, allowing the leg to pass overhead, he struck out, his fist landing a blow in the man's lower extremities, leaving him a quivering pile of moans and limp flesh. That left the gang leader, who was now taking off, though not very fast at all. Aqualad moved in pursuit, catching up to him in a moment and catching him by his collar. With an almost casual flick of his wrist, he sent the man into a nearby wall, spinning him around at the same, leaving him face to face with the teenage superhero's wrath.

He sneered, fear in his eyes and a shrill sound to his voice, and glared at him, unwilling to act even the slightest bit sorry for his actions. "You're too late!" He yelled out to him, his spittle flying out into Aqualad's face. "They're dead, you -!" His monologue was cut short as a knee entered his gut, sucking all of the air from his lungs, and a moment later a flurry of stars appeared before him as he was punched in the face. Aqualad put him out of mind the moment, focusing on the more immediate problem – getting to his friends before it was too late. Ignoring the flashing lights approaching behind him, he began to run towards Speedy's house, only just resisting the urge to scream out their names. He ran full out, his legs crying out for oxygen as he began to diminish the distance between the two places.

The city seemed a blur as he ran, the fast food and shopping centers, the high class homes, the seemingly endless supply of cheep, low class living apartments, all seeming to be one as he rushed in. More than anything else, he was focused, his nerves shot and his feelings taunt. He felt the pain enter his legs and arms, but pushed through it, focusing through the fiery eruption in his body, as his mentor had trained him to. When he had taught him how to swim, he had found himself in almost constant pain in the beginning. It had taken a lot of time, but he had learned how to push on until he could go no further. He continued through the city still, ignoring the looks from ordinary citizens and police and criminals alike. Wide eyed stares and narrowed glares received equal attention – none at all.

At last the house came into view, just as a couple of cars sped by. The faces within should have caught his attention, but there was something else on his mind. The house was literally blazing, roaring high with flickering orange, red, and yellow flames. Even as he saw fire trucks and ambulances driving up, he knew that it was beyond their abilities. He continued to run closer, even as they began to spray the measly amount of water upon the blaze. He recognized Officer Sampson's worried face as he drew closer, and saw her turn towards him, but he was already reaching inside himself for the answer to the current problem. Dipping onto the nearby supply of water, he extended both of his hands towards the blaze, barely noticing the bursting water mains and the surprise on the faces of the firemen as their hoses ran dry, and instead focused on forcing as much water onto the flames as he could. With a steady hand, unwearied by the fighting earlier, he doused the flames as best he could. Yet it was not enough to stop the fire, at least not any time soon. The flames were too high, the heat too intense, and it had simply been going for too long. To stop something of this size, it would take a much larger quantity of liquid…

He let his arms drop for a moment, but sunk deeper into his concentration. He barely noticed Holly walk up beside him, and wouldn't have if she hadn't spoken. "There was nothing you could have done…" She said, trailing off, taking his shoulder in an attempt to pull him back. She sat there for a moment, and then her grip tightened slightly as she felt a tiny tremor. He smiled, just a little, anticipating the shock he was about to give everybody, and then let his body move once more. He raised his hands above his head, calling upon the gathered water to heed his command. A moment later, a deluge of water, a monumental spout, came flying up out of the ground, ready to drench everyone and everything nearby. With strain apparent, he thrust the living pond on top of the house, leaving a waterfall of water pouring down from above, quenching even the strongest of flames, and putting out the hottest of coals.

The house seemed to dissolve under the effect of the deluge, but a skeletal system remained in place, protected from the fire by layers of other combustible material. All was blackened and charred, but he couldn't help himself. He rushed in, calling out for the friends that had been within. "SPEEDY!" His voice was strong and loud, ringing out across the charred husk before him. Little hope remained, but in the hero business, he knew better than to take anything for granted. Stranger things had happened, and often did in the line of work they were in. "BUMBLEBEE!" Another voice sprang through his mind, another friend whom he might have lost, and another twinge of guilt at having stormed out into the night this evening. The thought resonated throughout his soul, driving him on through the murky evening light. He stumbled to where the room Bumblebee had used was, dropping to his knees to search for any signs of remains. He could see none, and he found himself at a loss as he continued to seek some means of evidence. He moved into what had been Speedy's room, then back into the living room, but had found nothing. It was when the other searchers had moved onto the area that he finally found something.

His foot was what bumped into the communicator, but even after being burnt to a crisp, the outer casing was recognizable from any distance. The once yellow case, with the bold letter T insignia upon its cover, was now a piece of scrap, and presumably its owner beside it. His hand dropped to the casing, even as his own went to his communicator, pushing down on the dumb thing. He could almost here the musical chime as it sang forth, a eulogy that only he could hear. He felt like crying, yet not even a single tear would come to his eye. Instead of the multi pronged emotions that had plagued him only moment ago, deadness seemed wrapped around his heart, his mind torn from the surrounding proceedings. A moment later, his own dumb communicator rang, and acting on instinct, he opened it up and flipped it on.

"Aqualad? Where are you?" A familiar voice broke his introspection and he felt a rush of emotion – unidentifiable at this point – fill him once more. Speedy _At least he's alive._ He couldn't believe it for a moment, and sheer surprise managed to keep his mouth open for a minute before he started to talk again. Even seeing his face, familiar, if smoke stained, was a relief on some ways.

"I'm where your house was! Where in the world are you?" Aqualad couldn't contain the feelings he had within, and they rushed out through his strained voice. His eyes threatened to tear up, coming close to losing all control. His friend, one of the few on the surface world, was now beneath his feet – or was she? "Where's Bumblebee?" The stress he had gone through seemed to waver as the thought crossed his mind that she too might be safe.

"Hold on." Without bothering to consult him, he turned off the communicator, shutting down the line without a thought. Aqualad was put off by the rudeness, but since he couldn't say anything that would be heard, he chose to save his words for a more pointed conversation – one they would be having in the near future. A moment later, he could hear a dull thumping noise, but he couldn't locate it before it stopped. Then, after a few moments of brooding silence, an explosion, small and contained, occurred about ten feet to his left, making him jump. Ten seconds later, grunting could be heard – Speedy complaining. Aqualad rushed over, and in a moment took the scene in. Speedy was carrying a limp Bumblebee in his arms, straining and trying not to hurt her further. He looked up at Aqualad, his eyes burning, and without a word, they communicated. He quickly passed the unconscious hero to him, carefully allowing him to extract her.

A moment later he was swarmed by the paramedics as they began to perform tests on her. She was unresponsive, but had a steady pulse and strong breathing. Her head was quickly stabilized as they pulled her on to a stretcher, and she was carefully lifted onto a gurney, ready to be moved. He turned back to Speedy, only to see him climb out of the hole with two quivers heaping full of arrows, and a grim look across his face. "Speedy…" he said, ready to both berate, and to question. He never got the chance to.

Speedy gave him a look that brooked no discussion and started to speak. "Aqualad, I'm going to go get some answers. Stay with Bumblebee." His voice was strong, carrying the tone of command in it. He looked over at her for a second, his visage softening momentarily. "Someone needs to make sure nothing happens to her, and I want to find out who just destroyed my house." He sounded pissed, and it was obvious why. The look on his face boded ill for those who had caused him this grief.

Aqualad wanted to protest for a moment, wanted to get on to him, but after taking one look at the prone body of Bumblebee took most of the fight out of him. He knew his friend needed him more than Speedy did. That alone made up his mind, even if his heart told him differently. "Fine. But if you need help, for any reason…" He trailed off, knowing that his point was already made. The prospect of losing any of his friends was defiantly a frightening one, one that had come all too close to happening. He sighed, and then turned back towards Bumblebee, getting into the ambulance that she was being loaded into. He looked back only once, his eyes searching out the retreating figure of his only other true friend on the surface world, and he watched him as he scampered away, searching out a new, illusive target. He had no doubts that he would find it.

(Dum de dum.)

Speedy moved with the grace of a mountain lion, skirting the boarders of the rooftops, searching for his target. It hadn't taken all that long to find out both who was behind the attacks, and where they tended to 'hang out'. From there, he had simply left his informer hanging (Literally – he had caught him and hauled him fifty feet over the cement to get him to talk.) and began to chase down his newest quarry. He had been stalking him for almost a half an hour before he had moved off by himself to talk on his cell phone for a minute. A mistake, as it had turned out, because as soon as he finished his chat on the phone, a rather powerful grip had happened to attach to his foot, hauling him over the city streets without a moment's hesitation. He heard the man's startled cry, but knew that they wouldn't be answered. He had dropped a canister of sleeping gas down into the gang behind him. His face was carved of stone as he began his questioning. "Mendoza." It was not a question, but a statement of fact, one that obviously startled the punk before him. "Who was behind the fire?" He stared at the man's eyes, knowing that it was impossible that this man had managed to come up with a plan good enough to take down all three of them at once. If Aqualad had been attacked with more than knives, he likely wouldn't have been able to come to their rescue, and the whole thing would have worked.

The man, obviously in some pain at having been hung from his ankle, still managed to grimace very well, though his spit ball hit his forehead when he spat. "Go sit on your thumb and rotate!" He yelled out, not phased or really afraid yet. He seemed to sneer, even though he was incapacitated, and for a moment, Speedy almost let himself smile back. Then the memory of his house being burnt to the ground, with himself still inside of it, rushed back into his head, and he let go of the cording that held the man up. His scream was so very satisfying. He stopped him about four feet from impact and dragged him back up, ignoring the small yellow stream that now dripped from his pants.

"Let's try this again. Who set this up?" He ignored the incoherent gibbering that the man was saying, waiting for coherency. He continued to give him a stony stare, letting his expression do as much damage to his psyche as was possible. "Well? Do you need to go down again?" He sounded slightly hopeful.

The man was obviously afraid of heights, and it showed. "Blood!" He screamed out, his eyes wide and full of terror. He looked like he was going to cry. "Brother Blood ordered us to." He started the mad gibbering once more, his eyes now streaming tears forth into the night sky. Speedy moved his face in closer, so the man could feel his breath, and the gibbering stopped.

"One last question, then." He said with a quiet, resolved tone. "Where is Brother Blood?"

(Gargamell…)

Speedy walked into the building without a moment's hesitation. He had been watching it for almost an hour, and had discovered only a short while ago that the building had been abandoned. Now he was walking through the halls of a madman who had decided to make his home in Steel City. He had orchestrated an assassination attempt, had ruined thousands of lives for his own sick and twisted satisfaction, and had managed to seriously tick him off. Now he was trying to get a feel on a man who he knew would be one of the most dangerous adversaries that he had ever faced. A genius, a monster, a politician, and a source of evil beyond any he had ever faced before, and a man who was the embodiment of everything that he fought against. Oh, yes, he was focused on his job.

The final room was likely the most telling. A spacious throne was the most prominent feature, filling the front of the room with its ornate beauty. It was lavishly decorated – yet, at the same time, an aura of filth seemed to emanate from it. It was the only thing that had obviously remained untouched in the room, and everything else had been removed, save for one other piece of furniture. A chess board sat in the middle of the room, made of precious materials, and sitting upright, as if inviting him to play. As he walked closer, he could see three pieces sitting upright, standing like sentinels in a storm. One piece had unfamiliar features – those of Brother Blood, he assumed. The other two were carved in almost an exact copy of Bumblebee and Aqualad, each detail carved to perfection. Finally, a fourth piece sat to the side, on a small typed note. _Where do you stand? As a pawn, or a knight?_ The piece was almost real in its detailed reality. He stared at the note for a second, the scooped up his own piece, inspecting it. A moment later, on instinct, he picked up the other two that were familiar and set them in his pocket. He turned to walk out, and then stopped. In one swift movement, he picked up the last figurine and hurled it into the wall, shattering it to pieces. He walked out without looking back, ignoring the broken king on the floor behind him.

(Final scene…)

Aqualad, Speedy, and Bumblebee sat quietly in the hospital, none wishing to speak or move much. Bumblebee had a head ache that felt like it would never go away, and Speedy still felt the strain of his late night hunt. All three figurines now sat on the dresser near her bed, along with their equipment. They were all disheveled and pooped, and none of them felt like celebrating. "So," Bumblebee's weak voice said, pulling attention to her prone form, "Who gets to tell Cyborg that he's going to have to pay for a new house?" Her voice, though not more than a whisper, carried tones of humor that the whole group needed to hear at this moment.

"Not today." Aqualad said, nearly groaning. He propped himself back, trying to close his eyes, if unsuccessfully. His eyes were too accustomed to darkness to let him sleep easily in the light, even the weak light they were in. His body was tired from the strenuous activity of the day and emotions that had run rampant afterwards.

"Agreed." Speedy's voice was wearied as well, and it was a surprise to himself that he was still awake. He didn't think that he would have been able to stay awake after all of the things he had been through the night before. His bruises and minor injuries were cared for, and with cops outside the door, no one was really worried about serious problems cropping up any time soon.

Bumblebee was the worst off out of the three of them. Her injuries were the most dangerous, due simply to the fact that the head was one of the most sensitive areas in the human body. The doctors had spent most of the night keeping an eye on her vital signs, and she wasn't supposed to leave the bed for another two or three days. Of course, this chaffed her to no end, being forced to sit still and take it easy. _She needs to lay off of the sugar._ Speedy thought to himself, shaking his head softly. He started to drift off to sleep, trying to get in a little shut eye.

Sadly, it was not to be. A sudden beeping brought the group's eyes to their communicators. Bumblebee groaned as the noise caused her headache to flare, and Aqualad shied back as if trying to keep a coiled viper away. Speedy rolled his eyes, but opened the communicator anyways. "Speedy here. What do you need, Robin?" The leader of the titans, his face was easily recognizable.

"Speedy… How is everyone? And why are you in a hospital?" His voice sounded concerned, but Speedy wished he hadn't called at all. He knew that this was going to be one of those days – in fact, since he hadn't slept yet, it still was one of those days.

He sighed and began to try and explain the situation to the boy wonder. "We ran into a few of Brother Blood's minions." He said evenly, ignoring the raised eyebrow from Robin. "Long story short, they attacked us and burned down my house. Speedy out." He turned off and closed his communicator before a shocked, open mouthed Robin could respond to his dropping of the bomb.

He looked at the other two as the communicators went off again and shook his head, laying back slightly. "You guys get it. It's your turn." He curled up and closed his eyes, letting sleep shut the noise of the communicators out.

(That's a wrap.)

Next Chapter: When a chemical spill destroys the ecosystem of the ocean near Steel City, Aqualad is upset. But when he discovers proof of illegal dumping, he will have to choose between his duty to take revenge and his desire for justice to be served. (And Mas y Menos show up too…)


End file.
